


Assassins, Detectives, and the Mafia

by TsukiDragneel



Series: Assassins, Detectives, and the Mafia [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: (le gasp), Amnesia, Angst, Beware, Despair, Don't Mess With Kokichi, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Help, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Implied/Referenced Suicide, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, M/M, Mafia!Kaede, Mafia!Kokichi, Mafia!Maki, Mafia!Shuichi, Maki and Peko know each other but they don't know it, Mild torture, Multi, Neo World Program (Dangan Ronpa), Panic Attacks, Poor Rantaro, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, So many tags, Spoilers, Stalking, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, THIS ANGST IS HARDCORE, The Pocky Game, What Have I Done, Who reads these anyway, Yandere, and kokichi now, but i like writing it anyways???, don't read the tags, don't worry nobody understands chapter 10, except rantaro whoops he's dead now, fight me, how many ways can i kill rantaro, i am like this close to making the dr3 cast the police, i deeply regret chapter 7, i don't even ship kaimaki lolol, i feel so bad for maki, its so hard to keep this at a teen rating, kaito is so confused, kokichi is a scary yandere, no tag for language, not too graphic don't worry, pls, poor Shuichi, rantaro is STILL DEAD how did this not come up earlier, shoulda tagged this in chapter 7 lol but it's here now, so chapter 9 happened, so many spoilers just in the tags, someone's gonna die but whoooo???, suffocation from rantaro's pov, that pretty much summarizes this fic, the dr3 cast are in this, they keep getting shorter T-T, this is my pet project, this used to be a req fic but now its something else, turns out that i can't write people in character, whoops, whoops kaede just died
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-08-25 03:16:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 18,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16653238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TsukiDragneel/pseuds/TsukiDragneel
Summary: Happy birthday, wattpad friendo!Check her out at @PianofreakAkamatsu!basically a 'story' but also sort of connected oneshotsenjoy!





	1. Magic Shows and Assassins

"Just lay low."

Maki finds her eyes drawn inexplicably to Kaede (yet again, she was at work and should be professional dammit) and Shuichi seems to notice.

"Hm," he hums, watching as Kaede strides into the thick of the party.

Hugging a bear, she wears a form-fitting strapless black dress that cuts off just above her ankles, and Maki  _knows_ she's not the only one looking. Tsumugi is entirely too good at designing.

Shuichi, on the other hand, wears a v-necked white shirt that looks almost as if he was planning to tango. Not exactly standard for a white-tie party, but nobody seems to mind. ( _Especially_ not their boss, Kokichi Ouma, who is currently... off somewhere)

"Shouldn't you be looking out for the mark?" Shuichi hisses, and Maki shakes her head once to clear it. She has work to do.

Approximately fifteen minutes pass as she leans against the wall and studies the crowd.

Her eyes light on the mark, and she allows herself a small smirk. Leon Kuwata should know better than to mess with people he doesn't understand.

He's talking to someone from their rivals, the Jabberwock. As Maki watches, the woman throws her head back and laughs, pearly white teeth gleaming in the dim lighting.

God, how she hates Sonia Nevermind. Not the point, though. Not tonight.

She reaches into her leather jacket for the small handgun saved in an interior pocket. Even with metal detectors, she has her ways of hitting a mark. 

Sliding a cartridge into the barrel, she listens for the satisfying click as it falls into place.

_Click!_

There we go.

Across the room, she waits for Himiko's show to start. With any luck, she'll be able to get the hit off during the explosion.

"Hello!" Gonta calls out, tapping the microphone with one finger. "Gonta would like to welcome you to the performance of the amazing Himiko!"

Polite applause follows, and Maki can see the slight crimson dusting Gonta's cheeks.

"Thank you," Gonta smiles, gesturing for Kirumi to raise the curtain. "Presenting... the amazing Himiko!"

The red-haired woman takes her bow on stage, flashy outfit gleaming in the light. In tandem, Maki raises the gun, aiming for the back of Leon's head. She only has one shot at this.

She manages to hold the position for the next ten minutes while Himiko goes through her tricks, until it's time for the grand finale.

"As you can see, there is a tank full of sharks!" Himiko proclaims. 

The crowd nods assent.

"Gonta, if you would..."

He wraps a red fabric around her eyes and wrists, and hesitating a second before pushing her in.

The audience gasps as the curtain lowers, and a tense minute passes before Kirumi raises the curtain to reveal... torn fabric and a red liquid.

Screams, shouts, faints, the works.

"Did you miss me?" Himiko shouts, from her position in the back of the room. Loud blue and red fireworks explode around her, and Maki knows it's time.

Tightening her grip, she pulls the trigger.


	2. Intelligence and Deals

Shuichi finds himself continually staring at Kokichi, who makes a very emphasized point of not returning the looks.

But  _damn_ , he is wearing a suit... and slacks... and goddamn it he has work to do. Shit.

"Oh, Kokichi!"

Nagito waves them over with a broad smile, and Shuichi finds himself smiling too. Nagito at least  _knows_ how worthless he is, and that's somewhat refreshing.

Once they draw closer, Nagito stares at them for a second before passing Kokichi a champagne flute, whispering what sounds like "liquid courage" before rushing away.

So, to recap, it's been fifteen minutes, and they still haven't sealed the deal with Naegi.

"Ah, there he is," Kokichi smiles, downing the champagne in one gulp and striding over. "Naegi Makoto!"

The look the brown-haired man gives them could wither a lesser man, and it almost has Shuichi running away. And yet, Kokichi stands his ground, patting Naegi on the back as if they're old friends.

"I  _am_ sorry about that," Kokichi laughs, before his expression falls. "But... you won't cancel the shipments, right? We can still pay quite well for them, and I don't see how cutting off trade with us will help you any."

Damn, he's good.

"You shot my friend," Naegi deadpans. "Of  _course_ the deal is still on."

"Really?" Kokichi gives Naegi his best puppy-dog eyes, and unless Naegi has a heart of stone, then he can't resist.

A tense second passes... then two... then three...

"Fine," Naegi sighs. "But we'll be watching you."

Mukuro Ikusaba seems to materialize out of thin air to stand next to him, and he nods easily as she leads him away.

"She's scary, huh?" Shuichi sighs.

"Nah," Kokichi hums, skipping off. "All bodies look the same once you break their skulls."


	3. Fakers and Makers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> or in which it's a conscious effort to self-censor
> 
> and i fail
> 
> basically a chapter of insults, name-calling, and sonia vs kaede trash-talking
> 
> so yea
> 
> language warning!!!!

Kaede strides into the room, relishing in the gazes she receives. She shines like a diamond, pale and bright under the skylights.

"You."

Sonia Nevermind stands in the center of the room, azure eyes furrowed in irritation. "Do you ever get sick of seducing boys?"

"I don't know,  _Sonia_ ," Kaede purrs. "Are you just sad because you're washed-up trash?"

Oohs and catcalls echo throughout the room, and Sonia flushes a deep shade of pink.

"Says the girl who seduces my boyfriend for a  _trade deal_ just to leave him high and dry with the gun?" Sonia snaps.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Kaede tosses her hair over one shoulder, gleaming white dress opalescent in the light. "Or are you just... hm...  _jealous_?"

"Of you?" Sonia snaps. "Never."

They circle each other, Sonia's ocean-blue dress almost making her appear like a shark. Kaede's hand tightens around her knife, and she can feel a pinprick of blood welling up on her fingertip.

"Do you  _want_ to die?" Kaede croons. "Because if you do, by all means, keep talking."

Sonia's eye twitches, and from seemingly nowhere, she pulls a gun out of her pocket and trains it on Kaede's forehead.

"Move an inch and you die," Sonia hisses. 

"How dare you insult Miss Sonia!" a pink-haired man squawks. "You wouldn't know beauty if it hit you in the face!" 

"No, Souda."

"O-Okay..."

"You're lucky there are witnesses," Sonia huffs, placing her gun back into the folds of her dress. "Next time we're alone, I  _will_ kill you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so not a real mafia lol
> 
> pls don't judge me T-T


	4. Subterfuge and... Waitresses?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next few hours are objectively the most degrading of her entire life. It's one thing to serve customers with a thousand-watt grin and cheer, but quite another to watch Kaede flirt blatantly with Teruteru. And by the look on the pig's face, he's lapping it up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay it SOUNDS worse than it is
> 
> very little seducing, mostly just maki hating the world

"This sucks," Maki gripes, tugging at the hem of her apron. "It's demeaning. I kill people so I  _don't_ have to dress up like a waitress."

"Now, Maki," Kaede tsks, flicking the other playfully on the forehead. "It's not a  _huuuuge_ deal. We're just acting!"

A call from their manager, Teruteru Hanamura, sends Kaede- ahem, Alicia, running over to a customer, and Maki's left thinking that if this is somehow an act, then Kaede is born for the stage. The ease in which she scribbles things on her tiny notepad, coercing customers into ordering that one extra side dish... that all seems so natural.

Teruteru seems to notice as well, based on the fountain of blood gushing from his nose.

"That'll be a double order of hamburger steak and fried egg," Kaede coos, leaning forwards ever-so-slightly.

"Ohoh... yes..." Teruteru mutters, and Maki's almost certain that she's bleeding just as much as he is.

"Alicia!" Tsumugi calls, blue hair pulled into a high ponytail. "Oh, and Sarah! We have a very special guest!"

Maki stomps over, grumbling obscenities under her breath. Kaede on the other hand looks positively ecstatic, the only thing to hint at her irritation the dangerous spark in her eyes.

"How long do we have to do this?" Maki whispers.

"Just until he lets one of us into the kitchen," Kaede shoots back. "And I doubt it'll be very long."

Maki gives the two of them a devilish smirk at the prospect of wringing Teruteru's neck, watching his face turn purple as he struggles for air-

"You have that look again."

"Hm?" Maki asks, staring at Kaede.

"Yeah, that look you get when you're plotting someone's death."

"It's scary," Tsumugi smirks, patting Maki playfully on the head. "Now, up and at 'em!"

The next few hours are objectively the most degrading of her entire life. It's one thing to serve customers with a thousand-watt grin and cheer, but quite another to watch Kaede flirt blatantly with Teruteru. And by the look on the pig's face, he's lapping it up.

Such are the problems of having a girlfriend in the killing business. 

Personally, she's still excited for the killing part. People are annoying and hard to understand. Knives only have one language.

It's around six when they can begin stage two. Kaede pokes her head out of the kitchen and gives them a small wave.

While Tsumugi closes the curtains, Maki stalks through the door and hides behind one of the many shelves. 

Miss Akamatsu!" Teruteru smirks as Kaede slides her jacket off, leaving her only in a tank-top and shorts. "You are..."

"Incredible?" Kaede smirks, gesturing at her tank-top. "I know."

"Ah..."

"Guess what else?"

Kaede's eyes meet hers, and in a flash, she forces Teruteru into a choke hold, knife pressed at his throat. 

"That was degrading," Kaede huffs, pulling her hoodie back on. "You  _really_ thought you had a chance with me?"

Glassy tears begin to spill out of the chef's eyes and roll down his cheeks as the situation registers. "You... why?"

"It's nothing personal, Teruteru," Kaede coos as Maki tightens her grip. He thrashes, clawing at her arm as his face turns blue, then purple, before he goes limp. "Just business."


	5. Scarves and Snowfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a bit of fluff to top off your mafia au?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY LIFE HAPPENED I WAS GONNA HAVE THIS WRITTEN DAYS AGO GOMENNE GOMENNE

Maki both loves and hates the snow.

She hates it because... well, it's cold, right? It gets stuck everywhere and causes colds (which are actually Satan) and makes everything slippery.

But then again... it is beautiful.

"Maki-chan!"

And... there's Kaede.

"It's cold," Kaede mewls as she jogs up, cheeks flushed and red from sprinting. "Shuichi-kun kept following me! It's so hard to shake him!"

"Hm," Maki hums noncommittally, pulling up the hood of her jacket to protect her from the cold. "Poor you, needing bodyguards all the time."

"I know," Kaede pouts. "I can take care of myself!"

"Woe is thee," Maki sighs before sneezing into the crook of her elbow.

"Are you okay?" Kaede frowns, pressing her palm to Maki's forehead. 

"Eh? I'm fine," Maki protests.

"I don't know... I think you might have a fever." Kaede's eyes glint merrily with mischief as she slowly unwinds her cherry-red scarf from around her neck.

"Kaede...?" Maki trails off, eyebrows quirking into a quizzical glance. "What are you-"

Before Maki can protest, Kaede drapes her scarf around the brunette's neck, thoroughly covering her mouth and nose.

"That's better!" Kaede chirps, ignoring Maki's sudden muteness. "Let's go!"

_Rest in peace Maki Harukawa, killed by Kaede Akamatsu and her scarf,_ Maki thinks, stumbling in a daze after Kaede.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i dont even know what this au is anymore
> 
> have some fluff I guess?????
> 
> also at the part where Kaede winds her scarf around Maki's neck, think AOT


	6. Youth and Yanderes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AHEM D'YA WANT SOME YANDERE!KOKICHI BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING SOME YANDERE KOKICHI

Shuichi would be lying if he said that Kokichi didn't scare him at least a little. 

Of  _course_ he loves him, but every so often, there's that... look, when he looks at Kaede or Tsumugi or... Rantaro.

He's also probably part of the reason why Rantaro ended up strangled to death in a gutter, but he can't be sure. 

"Shuichi~!" Kokichi coos, wrapping strong arms around his midsection. "I'm bored! Play with me!"

Shuichi can't not notice the bright pink staining Kokichi's hands, now smearing onto his white dress shirt.

"Sorry, Kokichi," Shuichi frowns, disentangling Kokichi from his torso. "I'm heading out on a trip with Kaito. We've got to meet with Fujisaki and Gekkogahara."

Kokichi's lower lip quivers as the expression on his face shifts to something darker. "But you  _promised_!"

"I'm sorry," Shuichi sighs, massaging the space in between his eyebrows. "It's not like I want to..."

"..."

"Kokichi? Are you okay?" Shuichi asks, patting his fedora in what he hopes to be a soothing way.

"I'm fine," Kokichi mutters. 

"...are you sure?"

"Yep!" Kokichi coos, burying his face into Shuichi's chest. "Just come back soon, okay?"

"If you're sure it's okay," Shuichi mutters.

And he  _would_ drop everything to spend a night curled up next to Kokichi, the two of them shutting out the horrors of the world, but he has a job to do.

However much he may hate it.

Kokichi, on the other hand, digs his nails into his palms to avoid begging Shuichi to stay. He  _hates_ how all of them can have his Shuichi when he can't. He hates how they force his precious Shuichi do these  _horrible_ things, how they force him across the globe, and for what? To serve as a puppet to Kaede's twisted mind?

_God_ _, it's insane how much he hates her._

But there's Maki, always making his job irritatingly difficult.

"Kokichi?" Shuichi whispers, carding his fingers through Kokichi's violet locks. "Are you alright? You can tell me."

_I will be, once you're all mine._

"Of course!" Kokichi says instead, tightening his grip on Shuichi's torso. "As long as you come straight back!"

"I will," Shuichi smiles, gently pushing Kokichi's hands off his sides. "Promise."

As Shuichi takes off, Kokichi plays along, every step the part of a sane, loving boyfriend, until he knows that Kaito's plane is too far off the ground for Shuichi to see him.

"Miaya Gekkogahara," Kokichi breathes, eyes sparkling as he runs his fingers along a framed photo of Shuichi. "You have interfered for the last time." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i do love Rantaro don't get me wrong but like
> 
> SOMEONE HAD TO DIE
> 
> and i love the DR3 cast to death don't get me wrong but like... 
> 
> SOMEONE 
> 
> HAD
> 
> TO
> 
> DIE
> 
> okay now to just fix that tag lol


	7. Gutters and Gloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the prequel to chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W: Stalking, murder... that's about it
> 
> the darkest chapter so far

Rantaro's certain that it's not paranoia if someone's really out to get you.

It started out semi-normally, just an occasional itch and chill. Once or twice, he could have sworn he saw someone hiding in the bushes, but when he turned, all he saw was the waving of leaves in the wind.

Funny, how it wasn't windy at all that day.

Rantaro's not stupid. He just prefers to think positive. Maybe it was just a sudden, unexpected gust. Maybe it was just a squirrel... a squirrel with dark hair.

It continued on like that for about a month, until it suddenly ramped up. He hadn't  _done_ anything, per se, except for maybe letting Shuichi fall asleep on his arm. And that was barely his fault! What was he  _supposed_ to do, let him break his skull on the bus railing?

_It was a dark, cold night, just after midnight. They were coming back from a meeting, and rain made a soft pitter-patter on the windows._

_"I'm tired," Shuichi sighed, rubbing at his tea-brown eyes with the base of his hand._

_"Same here," Rantaro griped, leaning against the bus window. His eyes stared unseeing into the rain, lost in thought._

_He was so focused on absolutely nothing that he almost missed it when Shuichi leaned into his shoulder, eyes fluttering shut._

_"Wake me when we're back," Shuichi sighed._

_The bus continued on in silence as Rantaro leaned his head atop Shuichi's, surrendering himself to sleep's call._

_"Yeah," Rantaro sighed, inhaling Shuichi's scent - a mixture of books and chocolate. "G'night, Shuichi."_

Yes, it was precisely after that when he received his first death threat. Pinned onto his door with a blood-stained knife, the letter promised him very bad things to come unless he stayed away from Shuichi.

It was far from his first rodeo, so he doubted that it was a serious threat. 

In hindsight, he probably should have.

Camera flashes in the dark of night, threatening messages left in his bed, blood smeared on his door, all in the same week. He couldn't sleep, and when he did, it would be to a fitful rest tormented by nightmares.

The last straw came when he just barely dodged a heavy ball left atop his door. It fell to the pavement and cracked the cement with a thud. 

_"W-What is this?" Rantaro gasped, pressing himself to his doorframe._

_What appeared to be a shot-put ball now lay on the pavement, indenting the solid. It was easily heavy enough to kill him, and probably to severely injure him if it clipped him._

_That was the first time that Rantaro realized it - he was going to die._

He tried, he really did. He didn't want to die, but nobody would listen.

At night, he would curl into a small ball under his covers, sobbing until his throat grew hoarse and eyes stung from tears. 

He doesn't want to die... he doesn't want to die... the mantra repeated, over and over, a final, desperate prayer.

Now, it's late December. Snow swirls through the air, washing down the gutters in a deluge. Rantaro sucks in a weak breath, finding it harder and harder to breathe. He tugs his jacket tighter around his arms, trying to resist the cold.

There's nobody else around at this time of night, and Rantaro isn't sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, that means the dark-haired man might not be around, but on the other hand, no witnesses-

He's abruptly yanked out of his train of thought by a scarf looping around his neck.

He scrabbles at the fabric as the unknown assailant tightens his grip. Stars dance before his eyes as he falls to his knees and his lungs burn for air.  _Air,_ they seem to scream,  _air, we need air!_

He doesn't want to die, he thinks, as tears roll down his cheeks. He doesn't want to die, doesn't want to die, doesn't... want... to...

With his last breath, he catches a glimpse of his tormentor's face, breathing his name as the world goes black...

"Kokichi..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello shot-put ball, you are back!
> 
> so yea, it was KOKICHI in the GUTTER with the SCARF the entire time! *faux gasp*


	8. Rats and Bodies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Rats Died ^U^
> 
> Check out the link!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSVPSYY6mqc

Kokichi traces the doorframe contemplatively, violet eyes glazed over with thought. 

It's too late. It's too late and Shuichi isn't home.

He was  _supposed_ to be home hours ago!

"You're going to wear a hole into the floor if you keep pacing."

Kaito leans easily against Kokichi's wall, spiky hair eclipsing narrowed eyes.

"Seriously. They'll be fine."

Something in Kaito's voice tells Kokichi that he doesn't quite mean it, and his eyes narrow. 

"So  _now_ you decide to care?" Kokichi smiles. "You didn't cry when Rantaro died, but  _now_ you're  _so_ concerned?"

"That's not it and you know it." 

"Ohh, I understand now!" Kokichi's eyes light up with childish glee as he snaps his fingers, walking over to sit on the bed. "You're worried about  _Maki_ , aren't you?"

"I'm worried about  _you_!" Kaito shouts, slamming his fist into the wall for emphasis. "You haven't been the same since Rantaro died! You're... darker. More dangerous."

"Well, it could be... because I killed Rantaro." Kokichi's hair brushes the floor as he leans off the bed upside-down, eyes sparkling playfully.

"You... you...!"

Shock courses hot through Kaito's veins as Kokichi quirks his mouth into a small little smirk. 

"Or I could be lying. But really, what do  _you_ think?"

"You're insane," Kaito growls, hand clenching into a fist. "You're actually insane."

"Am I?" Kokichi sing-songs, crawling back atop the bed to shuffle a deck of cards. "Hmm... I don't think so."

"It wasn't you, was it?"

Kaito traces contemplative circles on a notepad, doodling something that looks almost like stars. 

"Maaaaaybe it was," Kokichi smirks. "Maaaaaybe it wasn't."

Kaito closes his eyes, and for a moment, he can imagine Rantaro's final moments - clawing at the scarf for breath, whispering his final words with the last dregs of hope left in his lungs-

"Kokichi."

The Ultimate Leader reclines easily against the headrest, face utterly impassive. "That's what you think he said, isn't it?"

"Ghk-"

"I know how you think, Kaito." Kokichi's eyes narrow as he tugs his cap lower, effectively removing any chance Kaito had of reading him. "You think I did it."

Kaito's not exactly sure how to think at this point, actually. On the one hand, Kokichi did say that he did, but on the other, it's hard to tell whether or not Kokichi's lying.

Add that to how Kokichi's confusing on a  _normal_ day when they're _not_ talking about Rantaro and Kaito's pretty certain that his mind is going to be stuck spinning in circles. 

"Am I confusing you?" 

Kokichi leans against the window, moonlight silhouetting his lithe form. 

"How did-"

"You're easy to read. You wear everything on your sleeve."

Kokichi presses a hand to his chest, forcing him out of the room. The light of the hallway casts long shadows as he smirks playfully, and flips a playing card across his knuckles. 

"Pick a card, any card."

Suddenly, there's a deck fanned out in front of him, all flipped down so that only the grey backs are visible. 

"Wha- no, Kokichi-"

"Fine. Suit yourself."

Kokichi's mouth curls into a pout and he throws the playing cards into the air. Kaito can see some of their faces - the five of hearts, four of clubs, nine of spades, jack of diamonds-

The Ultimate Leader holds the ace of spades proudly in his face, smirking devilishly. 

"Seems like luck just isn't in the cards for you...  _or_ her."

Without another word, Kokichi pulls the door shut, leaving a befuddled Kaito in the hall, cards scattered around him like feathers to a bird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so!
> 
> gomen gomen, ppl are gonna die, because THERE IS A STORY HERE
> 
> but like... 
> 
> foreshadowing?
> 
> just lemme know if there's anyone i *should* kill off
> 
> actually lol just assume Rats Died is the theme for this whole fic bc I LOVE THE ARTIST
> 
> also also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjVop-qZfbc&t=150s
> 
> SURVIVAL GAMEEEEE


	9. Skies and Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It seemed as if the more things she held onto, the more things would fall through her fingers."

Maki has never hated what she does.

There's some sort of thrill, she supposes, playing judge, jury, and executioner.

It's easy for her, to detach herself from the world, then. It's necessary. If she allows such petty things as emotions to fool her, then what purpose would her job have?

But now, with  _this_ situation, she's being brutally reminded why she can't have attachments.

It  _should_ have been a normal day. It  _should_ have started like it always did, waking up with Kaede's arms curled around her and tucked under the pianist's chin. Slender hands - those of an instrument player - should have gently stroked her face, lulling her back to sleep for just a few more precious moments, just a few more blissful seconds of shutting out the outside world.

Kaede should have yawned slightly, that small yawn, like a cat, before pulling Maki tighter. Her blonde hair should have been spread around her heart-shaped face like a halo, shining gold against pure-white sheets. 

And yet... that was definitely not what was happening.

Instead of a clean bedroom, there was a grungy celler. Instead of Kaede holding her, there were ropes.

Instead of her hand brushing against Kaede's ear, a gun.

Maki squirms slightly, trying to find a way out before the gangster pulls the trigger. Kaede's party dress from the night prior is ripped and torn, one glove missing, and she's barefoot. A small man - Kuzuryuu - points a small handgun at her temple, lips curled with malice.

Maki's restrained by ropes around her wrists, ankles, and torso, tying her to the wooden chair. A katana blade presses against her neck - bare, now that her jacket is a shredded pile of fabric in the corner of the room. Left solely in a t-shirt and jeans, she feels significantly more vulnerable than she'd like.

"What would you like me to do with her, master?"

White hair eclipses her field of view for a moment as Pekoyama leans over her shoulder, katana blade biting ever-so-slightly into the flesh of her throat. Maki feels a swell of anger - Pekoyama is doing this on purpose - but quickly stomps it out.

"Just hold her there," Kuzuryuu snaps, childish voice sounding more plaintive than a command. "She'll be helpful in getting Akamatsu to talk."

"I'll never tell you anything," Kaede growls.

"I'll ask you this once," Kuzuryuu growls. "Where is the shipment?"

Kaede blinks owlishly before schooling her expression into one of apathy. "I don't know."

Kuzuryuu seems content with this answer for a moment, before he turns to Pekoyama. 

"Her pinky finger."

Maki only has an instant to brace herself before Pekoyama grasps hold of her left pinky and crudely yanks it sideways.

Red-hot pain fills her hand and she has to bite her lip to keep from crying. Tears flow freely down her face, because it  _hurts, it hurts so badly_ , and yet a part of her knows that there's still more to come.

"I won't tell you anything," Kaede hisses. "Why would I care about a lowly assassin?"

Maki  _knows_ it's a lie, and Kuzuryuu must know too.

"The ring finger."

This time, Maki's ready for the cracking of bones. She screams as white dots dance before her eyes, before clamping down her jaw so hard it draws blood, and forces herself not to look at the shapeless stick that was once her ring finger.

_Kaede... promised a ring..._

She  _wants so badly_ to wear a ring with Kaede, wants it so badly she can feel it. 

Kaede seems shaken as she is, some of the resolve in her eyes gone. 

"I told you... I don't know anything. Just let her go!"

Kuzuryuu seems to contemplate this for a moment, before walking over and stamping his cigar into the back of her left hand, starting a fresh wave of  _pain_.

"Stop it!" Kaede screams. "She doesn't know anything! Just let her go!"

Tears flow freely from her violet eyes, now raw and red from crying. 

"Will you tell us what you know?" Kuzuryuu snaps.

Apparently taking some sort of inaudible clue, Pekoyama graps her middle finger and forces it completely backwards.

The screams Maki make no longer seem human, as she thrashes vainly against the ropes that bind her. Hot-pink blood trickles down the armrest of the chair, new wounds from the ropes opening on her wrists and ankles.

"Stop it!" Kaede shouts over Maki's sobs. "Just stop!"

"The information, Akamatsu!" Kuzuryuu shouts as Pekoyama grasps Maki's index finger. "Tell us what you know!"

"Ouma!" Kaede screams. "That's all I know! Kokichi Ouma has them!"

Kuzuryuu pauses for an instant, lowering the gun from her temple. In one fluid movement, he snaps a handcuff to her wrist, and one to a pipe on the wall.

"Pekoyama," he snaps, gesturing for her to follow. 

"Wha- you're not going to release us?" Kaede protests. "I told you all I know!"

"And you'll  _stay_ here while Master verifies your information," Pekoyama cooly states, before closing the door and locking it with a click.

"Maki!" Kaede exclaims, reaching out in vain with her gloved right hand. "Maki, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Maki states, voice barely quavering.

"You're... not hurt?" Kaede asks, bewildered.

"If they went through my whole hand and got nothing, they would have shot you," Maki frowns. "I barely feel a thing."

Kaede eyes her warily, fairly certain it's a lie, but doesn't correct her.

"Looks like all we can do is wait," Maki continues, fiddling with the ropes that bind her. With a flick of her wrist, they cascade down the chair and fall into a heap on the floor. "I still have this, though."

She gestures to a sort of metallic collar around her neck, fitted with a cheerful black and white bear. 

"So we're stuck here for a while, huh?" Kaede sighs, jangling her chains against the floor. "Man..."

Crossing the room in a few short strides, Maki wraps her arms around Kaede's torso, wincing slightly as her broken fingers brush against Kaede's skin. "I'll protect you, Kaede. I promise."

Kaede buries her head in Maki's chest and sobs, large, heaving noises that wrack her entire body and leave tears streaming down her face. "Maki... I'm sorry..."

"It's alright," Maki soothes as the faintest wisp of a smile crosses her face. "I'm just glad you're okay."

They fall asleep like that, cocooned in each other's arms, content to spend just one more moment avoiding the cruel world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this chapter happened


	10. Suns and Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is so confusing lmao
> 
> i will explain all later

Rantaro nervously traces circles in the railing as he stares into the sunset. His heartbeat pulses in his ears as his mind whirs, anticipating the meeting.

"So it is you."

Kokichi's voice is soft as he stares blankly out into the sky. He looks the same, except that there's no... ferocity behind his gaze. 

It's chilling, to see Kokichi look so much like an empty shell.

"Yep," Rantaro states after a pregnant pause. "Are you-"

"I'm fine," Kokichi teases, though it's low and too somber. "Just a small headache."

"That'll happen," Rantaro sighs, running a hand through lime-green hair. "It hurts like hell when..."

He catches the look of utter  _guilt_ that flashes across Kokichi's expression, and abandons the sentence. 

"I really am sorry, you know," Kokichi mutters. "I never meant..."

"I know," Rantaro sighs.

"I just wanted to scare you a little... never..."

"It's fine, Kokichi," Rantaro lies through his teeth. 

"It's just - sniff - all my fault..." 

Kokichi swipes at tears rolling down his face, only for more to take their place. "I didn't mean for... I just... I..."

"Hey."

Rantaro thinks about enfolding Kokichi in a hug, but in the end settles for patting him awkwardly on the head. Kokichi smiles all the same, though, giving him a small but real smile.

"Are you still worried about him?" Kokichi whispers. "Do you still..."

The 'regret' hangs in the air between them, left unsaid.

"No," Rantaro smiles shyly, before biting down on his lower lip and ducking away. "It's just..."

_I wish that we weren't puppets._

_I wish that it hadn't happened in the first place._

_I wish you had never gone under that hydraulic press._

_I wish that I had never died._

"I wish they were here," he eventually says, and Kokichi nods solemnly in response. 

"That would be easier," Kokichi mutters. "It would be easier... so much easier..."

He doesn't say how history tends to repeat itself, which Rantaro is grateful for. 

"Rantaro?" Kokichi asks after a long silence.

"Hm?"

"If we're the losers... why does it feel like Shu- the others... are the real losers?"

"I don't know," Rantaro confesses, despite the twinging in his heart. "Maybe because we know the full story?"

"I have a different idea." Kokichi hoists himself up to sit on the railing, silhouetted by the dying rays of the sun. "I think we're just tired."

"Tired?" Rantaro hums.

And it makes sense, it really does. Rantaro's tired of looking over his shoulder, of checking each room twice before entering.

Of course, then he has to remind himself that he's one of the  _lucky_ ones (and isn't that rich, how stalking is on the short end of the stick now, though when he squints, he can still see that bob of hair in the shadows)

"Yeah," Kokichi sighs. "I'm so tired of being me." He wrings his hands in Rantaro's direction, as if flicking off invisible blood. "So much blood on my mush-that-used-to-be-hands."

"Have you always been this cynical?" Rantaro sighs.

"Maybe," Kokichi smirks, a spark of mischief coming to dulled violet eyes. "Maybe I don't feel any remorse at all and I'm just messing with you."

"Maybe," Rantaro smiles, opting to play along. "So tell me, 'Ultimate Supreme Leader', are you lying to me?"

"Maybe," Kokichi parrots. "I prefer to think of it as stretching the truth."

"Are you two coming?" someone calls from the hall.

"One second, Kaede!" Rantaro shouts. Dropping his voice to a whisper, he continues, "you know, it's okay to let yourself be happy."

"Is it, though?" Kokichi whispers. "Is it really okay for me to be... while they're..."

"What's done is done," Rantaro smiles, hand clasping Kokichi's thin wrist. 

"Uwa- what are you doing!" Kokichi exclaims.

"Save us some dinner!" Rantaro shouts, dragging Kokichi into the building. The Ultimate Supreme Leader lets out a few more muted complaints before surrendering, and racing ahead of Rantaro.

"Save me some too!"


	11. Cracks and Shattering

He's falling through an endless void, lost blissfully in thought. Around him, the world is deep, dark, and black. 

_He is so fragile, so easily breakable, and yet handled carelessly._

They say that time slows down when you're about to die, but never has he believed it before now.

_He is shattering, breaking into a million pieces._

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see a single, solitary figure, standing with arms outstretched, but not in welcoming. 

_How they smile, as they push him to certain and painful death._

It's not the knowledge that he's going to die that hurts him. He's long since accepted death. Instead, though, it's the regret.

_And suddenly he falls, back into a memory._

_It's a peaceful summer day in late August. Birds chirp merrily and the sky is a bright blue that feels like a distant memory._

_He's sitting next to a younger Rantaro Amami and Kaito Momota. The latter dips his hand lazily in the water, pretending not to notice the armed guards standing watch._

_(Kaito's always been good at that, but he knows he's better)_

_Rantaro turns to him and says something, and Kaito breaks out into peals of laughter, ringing out bright and clear across the peaceful lake._

_Kaito says something after that, and Rantaro turns away, brow furrowed in irritation._

(It would help significantly if he could remember what they were saying)

_("What are you talking about? We're on top of the world, Amami. Enjoy it."_

_"Every rise has a fall, Momota.")_

All his memories after that don't have Rantaro in them, and he thinks wryly that it's for the best. 

(They don't really have room for someone indecisive anyways)

_The next memory is one full of raw pain._

_It's a snowy winter day, white specks flying through the air. He's at the same lake, alone._

_Tears roll down his face, crystallizing into ice before they shatter on the hard, unforgiving ground._

_(Sometimes crying does solve everything)_

_"Hello?"  
_

_He feels a faint pressure on his shoulder and spins to see a black-haired boy._

_"Are you okay?"_

_"Yeah!" he lies, the words burning like fire as they leave his mouth._

_"You don't have to lie to me."_

His time is almost up. He can feel death coming closer.

_"You alright?"_

_Kaito falls into step next to him, eyes narrowed with concern._

_(Not really)_

_"Yep!"_

_"That's good," Kaito smiles. "Listen, Harukawa and Akamatsu haven't responded in a while. We're heading out to check."_

_(No)_

_"Okay."_

This is the end, it must be.

For his life of sins, he repents with his last breath,

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

And Kokichi Ouma shatters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wHOOPSIES


	12. Snacks and Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YES THIS IS STILL A REQ FIC
> 
> i just need to kill off a few more ppl first

As is the usual whenever Maki is out on a Monday, Kaede finds herself in desperate need of a drink.

Pulling the wine out of the refrigerator, she pours it into a crystalline glass and swirls it once, twice, so that the crimson liquid seeps into the white tablecloth. 

"Here's to another week alone," Kaede smiles, tipping her head back and pouring the glass's contents down her throat. 

It burns like fire going down, but she realizes that it'll be fine, as long as she can settle into that comfortable numbness. 

Three glasses later, Kaede decides that now is, in fact, the perfect time to clean under the bed. Who needs to wait until Maki is home?

* * *

Maki enters the apartment with a gust of snow blowing behind her. White specks dot her chocolate-brown hair and her jacket, and are now in the process of slowly and methodically covering the entire floor. 

"Kaede?" she calls, hazarding a glance at the clock.

_12:13._

Well, shit.

"Kaede?" she repeats, leaning into the living room cautiously.

The apartment isn't all too big. There's a kitchen connected to a living room, and a bedroom and balcony attached to that. There's a piano that sits on the screened-in balcony for Kaede's playing, and a secret room behind a bookshelf for Maki.

The assassin has yet to learn how one advertises a secret room without revealing the secret, but Kaede has always been quite vague on that.

"Makiiii!" Kaede squeals, leaping at her from the couch. "I missed you soooo much!" she exclaims, before sneezing.

The assassin can smell a distinct fruity odor on her breath, which lends credibility to the possibility that Kaede is, in fact, drunk. 

"Kaede, were you drinking?"

"No," Kaede pouts. "I only had one... or two... or three! 'M not drunk!"

"Sure," Maki deadpans, wrapping an arm around Kaede's waist. "Let's just get you to bed."

"Noooo," Kaede whines before sneezing.

Maki sighs, massaging the space between her eyebrows. Unfortunately, she knows exactly why Kaede is sneezing. 

A little-known fact about Kaede Akamatsu is her severe allergy to dust. Every time she attempts to clean under something, Maki has to find her later and put her in bed for a few hours. It's honestly a bit of a pain, especially since Kaede continually insists that  _'she is fine, and why can't Maki see that she's not allergic to dust?'_

Kaede always was a horrible liar.

"C'mon, Kaede," Maki frowns.

"Noooo...."

"Fine."

Maki bends down, and in one fluid moment, sweeps Kaede into her arms so that she's carrying the pianist bridal-style.

"Maki-chan..." Kaede coos as she bats at Maki's face.

"Yes?"

"I heard of a cool game from Kokichi-kun... I think you'd like it!"

"What is it?"

Kaede smirks devilishly, and cheerfully shoves what tastes like a stick of Pocky into Maki's mouth. 

"Now, we just eat this!" Kaede smiles, placing the other side in her mouth.

There is no way that Kaede doesn't know  _exactly_ what she's doing by playing the Pocky game.

And yet, Maki decides to indulge her. 

"Fine," Maki mumbles, biting off a part of the stick. She's careful to keep some in her mouth, because she is  _not_ losing to Kaede.

"Maki," Kaede coos, before biting off a large portion of the stick. The assassin is incredibly aware of how close their lips are, and how perfectly pink Kaede's are as well.

"I win," Maki smirks, biting off the rest of the stick and pulling Kaede into a passionate kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? 2 chapters in one day? Blasphemy!
> 
> But yes, this is one of the earlier things in this fic.
> 
> I'd actually love to see someone try to make a timeline for this, 'cause I barely know myself.


	13. Blood and Fracturing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is the chapter different?
> 
> YES
> 
> why?
> 
> someday i will get my act together and explain this stuff

Of  _course_ Kokichi notices when Rantaro stops smiling.

It's very sudden, actually. Not one of those more gradual things that takes time, letting the happiness fade away. No, this is like the flicking of a switch. Gone, just like that.

Rantaro acts very dodgy about the whole thing, too. Kokichi can tell that  _something_ is very, very wrong, but he doesn't quite know what. 

Where once was smiling and casual humor now becomes grimaces and dulled voices. The bags under his pea-green eyes seem to deepen with each passing day as the time he goes without sleeping increases. He checks behind himself to see if he's being followed, hesitates after opening doors, and leaves his house less and less.

It scares all of them, but Kokichi most of all.

Rantaro isn't supposed to act this way. He's the one with the answers, the one who keeps a cool head in every situation. Kokichi's supposed to be emotional, the one who twists around words and makes more questions. 

But now that it's Rantaro making the questions, Kokichi isn't sure he has the answers.

He manages to corner Rantaro as he's leaving one day.

"Amami."

Rantaro spins, eyes widening in terror before narrowing slightly. "Ouma."

His hair is matted and greasy, face pale and gaunt. There's a dullness to his eyes and a deathly pallor to his skin, and he keeps glancing around as if he expects someone to jump out of the shadows.

"What's up?" Kokichi smiles, sliding in front of him to lean easily against the door.

"Nothing," Rantaro frowns.

"That's a lie."

Kokichi twirls a set of keys around his finger - those to Rantaro's house and motorcycle. "Don't lie to a liar, Amami."

"You're probably right," Rantaro sighs, making a grab for the keys. 

"Ah-ah-ah," Kokichi tsks, clucking his tongue in warning. "Answer my questions first."

Rantaro lets out a long-suffering sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "Fine."

"What is going on with you?"

He knows he's hit on  _something_ important, since Rantaro noticeably stiffens.

"I'm worried about you, Amami," Kokichi smiles. 

He realizes it's the wrong thing to say as soon as the words leave his mouth. Rantaro's eyes narrow, and his hand balls into a fist.

"You're  _worried_ about me?" Rantaro shouts. Before Kokichi can react, Rantaro snatches the keys out of his hands and storms out the door.

Kokichi can see the tears rolling down Rantaro's face as he hops on his motorcycle and drives away, helmet eclipsing all but the water dripping slowly on his handlebars.

* * *

Kokichi walks down the streets, snow blowing in his face. It's late December, snow landing on the streets and washing down the gutters.

He's looking for Rantaro, truth be told. He tried to go to Rantaro's house, but garnered no response. 

"Amami!" Kokichi shouts, voice snatched away by the wind. "Amami! Rantaro!"

Walking only grows progressively harder as the snow starts to stick, and Kokichi digs his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket. 

"Rantaro-"

He trips over something lying in a gutter, and falls to the ground in a tangle of limbs and snow.

Biting back a groan, he pushes himself to his feet. His right ankle is trapped under the object, twisted at a strange angle. Trying to move it sends stabs of pain through his leg, and he's pretty certain it's broken.

"What... is this?" he gasps, gently teasing the bundle off his leg. It's slightly warm, soft to the touch and covered in what appears to be a coat.

Maybe it's just a drunk man passed out in a gutter, Kokichi rationalizes. He nudges it slightly, trying to wake whoever they are up.

"Hello?" Kokichi frowns, pushing the person over so he can see their face.

Rantaro's deadened pea-green eyes stare back at him, face forever frozen in an expression of abject terror and mouth hanging open in a silent scream. A scarf is hung around his neck like a noose, and Kokichi realizes with a thud that  _oh god he's dead oh no no no_.

"Amami?" Kokichi laughs almost hysterically as he pushes him experimentally. "Wake up, Amami! Amami! Wake up!"

Rantaro's slackened body flops around like a rag doll, and blood colors the snow a neon-pink.

"Amami! Wake up!" Kokichi screams, fingers clutching at his skull as if he's attempting to tear it open. "Amami! Rantaro!"

Tears roll down his face and make small indentations in the snow, mingling with the pink ice. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LAST RANTARO CHAPTER I PROMISE
> 
> so this IS a rewrite of chapter 7 just from Kokichi's perspective


	14. Slaves and Fighting

The girl has no name.

She has been told for as long as she can remember that she has no name. She is but a tool, something to be made useful. 

When the masters talk about her, however, they call her MK-1. She supposes that must be her name.

She is a girl, she knows that. She has brown hair and red eyes from what she can see in the small puddles. But she does not know her name. She does not know her family. 

She has her own family, here. There is PK-0, a white-haired girl with red eyes like hers. There is her roommate, MK-2, a blond girl with deadened blue eyes. And there is Master and Princess.

Princess is her master, so she must obey her. But she does not like Princess. Princess enjoys pressing the buttons to set off their shock collars, and smiles as they claw at the slick metal. Princess begs her father to have them sent away for the most minor offenses, and smiles when they come back with bloody fingers. No, she does not like Princess at all.

Once MK-1 tried to pronounce her name. It's a difficult name to pronounce, and when her tongue tripped over the syllables, it came out more as Mah-nee-kah instead of Monica.

Master definitely didn't like that.

They are reminded that they don't have names with every idle touch Master and Mistress share, every whispered word in low, soft voices. They are reminded that they do not have family with every touch the Masters give to Princess, every soft glance and sweet smile.

_"You don't have a family?" MK-2 asks, voice hoarse and weak._

_"No. You shouldn't either," MK-1 states, head resting on the mossy bricks that make up their room._

_"Do you have a name?"_

_"No. You shouldn't either."_

_"You don't have a name?" MK-2 plants her hands on the floor and leans in close, studying MK-1's eyes._

_"No...?" MK-1 stammers._

_"Hmm... that decides it." MK-2 allows a faint smile to cross her face, despite it not reaching her eyes. "From now on, you're Maki."_

_"Maki?" MK-1 tests the name out, tongue tripping over the unfamiliar syllables. "Why?"_

_"Do you need a reason? Everyone should have a name."_

MK-1 doesn't know if Maki is her name or if it isn't, but it's a nice thought.

MK-2 calls PK-0 Peko, and MK-1 Maki, no matter what either of them say. They eat together (or as together as they can, with PK-0 in a separate room) spar together, and even have small, hushed conversations in the dead of night.

It may not be a typical family, but it's all the family MK-1 has.

* * *

One day, a client comes.

The news is passed around in hushed whispers and rumors, hints that someone might come in need of a tool. Hints that someone might escape, hints that someone might find a way out and bring the news to the rest of them.

That day brings with it another round of fights to the death.

It's a cruel, animalistic practice. Everything is fair. Nobody helps you if you're knocked down or surrender. Nobody helps you if you're dying, guts spilling out onto the pristine white mats.

It's cruel, to be sure. They all bear varying scars, PK-0 has a long, white slash across her ribcage, and MK-1 has a cobweb of white lines on her skull. They never know who they're going against until they're thrown in the arena. All they know, when they have the collars around their necks and as soon as the shackles are snapped open, is that they have to kill.

MK-1 finds herself led down the labyrinthian tunnels, lithe wrists in chains. The last pulsings of fear make themselves known in the pit of her stomach, but she refuses to acknowledge them. Fear has no place here.

They shove her to her knees, force the helmet on her head, and snap the collar around her neck. It's really just for show, since everybody knows it barely stops anything.

(Maybe it's meant to make them look more like the obedient dogs they are.)

Before her, the large, metal doors open slowly, revealing the inside of the arena.

It's a large, whitewashed building, the floor covered in mats and the walls with weaponry. The ceiling is huge, creating a large dome meant to entrap and contain.

They push her inside the arena, and the door slams shut with a sense of finality. Across the arena, her opponent does the same.

The large board in the sky counts down, and a buzzer sounds once it hits zero.

 MK-1 scrambles for a weapon as her opponent charges. They slam a katana into the wall next to her face, drawing a line of blood across her cheek. 

MK-1 ducks out of the way, sprinting along the side of the arena. She can hear her opponent's feet racing behind her, and lets out a low groan of pain as they bury a knife in her thigh.

She goes spilling to the ground, hitting the mat with a small 'oof'. Her opponent advances, weapon raised, and they grasp her throat and pin her to the ground.

"Ghk-" MK-1 groans, grasping faintly for a knife or  _something_ behind her as her opponent raises her pocketknife. 

She can't find anything. Fear pulses in her ears as she realizes that she  _is going to die here oh god._

But, suddenly, her opponent stops. She stares at her, knife held just above her head.

In that moment of hesitation, MK-1's hand finds a kitchen knife, and she drives it into the girl's head.

"Ma... ki..."

Blood spurts out of the girl's head for a few seconds, bright pink a garish contrast to the pristine mats. Her hand loses its grip on the knife, and it clatters to the floor.

Staggering to her feet, MK-1 raises the kitchen knife in the air and relishes in the cries of victory, until her eyes find PK-0's.

There's such a sense of despair, and anger contained in their crimson depths, that MK-1 finds herself needing to check the board to see her opponent. 

_MK-2: Eliminated._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops
> 
> i think there might be a part two
> 
> also a cookie to anyone who can guess who MK-2 is based off of
> 
> also also Peko and Maki don't make the connection between PK-0 and MK-1 but I think they will later
> 
> LAST ALSO I PROMISE: next chapter will probably focus on some TenMiko or maybe some TenAngMiko


	15. Magic, Art, and Neo-Akaido

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> full disclosure: 
> 
> I really hate Angie lol but I'll do my best to write her well

The teen drags herself across the scratchy sidewalk with bleeding fingertips, red hair matted with blood and legs twisted grotesquely. 

Behind her, a man strides closer, clipped boots clicking on the asphalt. His eyes are narrowed dangerously, one hand clutching the blade of a knife.

"You're not escaping this time," he growls. 

Himiko's eyes widen as she sifts through her pocket in hopes of a weapon, a rock, a  _something_  she can use to fight. 

She comes up empty.

Closing her eyes, she tries to think. What could have happened? How did this come to this?

_"Himiko~!" Angie squeals, wrapping snake-like arms around her torso. "Has Atua sent you to me?"_

_"Nyeh... Angie..." Himiko mutters. "Too... tight..."_

_"Yeah! Angie! Let her go!" Tenko breaks into the conversation, prying Angie's arms off her. "You're behaving like a degenerate male!"_

_"Ah~ but Atua decrees I should spread happiness!"_

_"I guess that makes sense... but only if Himiko is okay with it!" Tenko announces._

_Himiko manages a weak nod, and Tenko seems sated._

"D-Don't hurt me..." Himiko whispers, covering her eyes with an arm. "P-Please..."

"Sorry, girlie," the man smirks. "This is just business."

A knife explodes from his chest, and his mouth falls open as pink blood splashes across the alleyway. Staggering back, a swift kick sends him reeling, and he collapses against the alley wall.

"That's for touching Himiko!" Tenko shouts as Angie rushes over.

"Oh, Himiko!" Angie frowns, eyes taking in the scene. Her yellow raincoat is splattered with blood, and a bit seems to have landed on her cheek. 

"Call Kimu- call Mikan," Himiko rasps. 

"Right!" Tenko exclaims. They both know that calling Seiko Kimura will inevitably result in a police investigation, but as a person, she's pretty nice. Mikan and her definitely make a cute couple.

Speaking of...

"Are you okay?" Tenko whispers, enfolding Himiko in her arms.

"Nyeh... I'm fine..." Himiko rasps. 

"Are you sure,  _ke aloha_?" Angie frowns. "You can tell me..."

Himiko's heart fills with pride as she gazes at the two. "Nyeh... I am now."

* * *

Mikan is definitely the last person to deal with things involving blood.

Or she would be in theory, except for how she seems to take a different persona when interacting with those injured. She appears more self-certain, not hesitant, just... generally an incredible nurse.

Seiko acts as her trusty assistant slash guardian as she works, administering drugs when asked to. It's obvious that her mind is millions of miles away, but she doesn't talk about it.

Angie and Tenko sit next to each other in the hallway, both sick with worry for Himiko.

Their worry manifests in different ways. Angie draws. Sometimes it's a demon and an angel, sometimes a mermaid and siren, but one of them always has red hair.

Tenko chooses to punch the wall. Punching doesn't require thinking. It's just the repetitious movement of a fist.

Lucky, then, that thinking is the last thing she wants to do right now.

The clinic that Mikan and Seiko run is a whitewashed building with a soft white carpet. Chairs sit in the waiting room, each with a cute design - one with a plush that Tenko vaguely remembers seeing on Tsumugi's bed. 

"Kimura-chan!"

A woman with a bob cut plants her hands on the white desk, pom-pom on her pink hat bobbing as she does. "Chisa-chan needs your help!"

"Is that code for Sakakura-san?" Seiko sighs, sliding a bottle of medicine across the desk. 

"Maaaybe~!" the woman coos. "Izayoi-kun is already out front waiting for me! Bye, Kimura-chan! See you tonight!"

"Goodbye, Ando-chan!" Seiko calls, watching as the woman races out the door. Placing a helmet on her head and hopping on the back of a blond man's motorcycle, she wraps her hands around his waist as it takes off.

"Who was that, Kimura?" Tenko frowns.

"Ando," Seiko smiles. "W-We're old friends."

"Really?" Angie smiles, leaning over the back of her chair. "She seems nice~! Atua approves!"

"A-Ah..." Seiko flushes a deep pink, racing out of the room.

"I wonder what that's all about..." Tenko trails off.

* * *

"Nyeh... thank you..." Himiko trails off as Mikan pushes her wheelchair out of the room.

"Don't mention it!" Mikan smiles as she pushes her into the waiting room. "H-Himiko is here!"

It's possible to pinpoint the exact second that the two of them see her. Tenko's eyes light up, and she races towards Himiko with a giant grin. Angie drops her sketchbook, flinging herself into Himiko's arms.

"You scared us!" Tenko gasps. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, please tell us!" Angie frowns.

"Nyeh... I'll be fine," Himiko smiles. "Just a few weeks in these casts..."

"Thank Atua!" Angie breathes.

"Can we go home now?" Himiko frowns. "I'm kinda tired..."

"Of course!" Tenko exclaims, taking hold of her wheelchair. "Let's go, Himiko!"

They leave the clinic in the dead of night, all with smiles bright enough to drive even the deepest darkness away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE POLY EMERGES
> 
> Ke aloha - beloved
> 
> god i love the DR3 and DRV3 casts from the bottom of my heart and like
> 
> i am THIS close to writing a chapter focusing on them since i want them to be the police


	16. Gunshots and Choices

Kaede has never before felt fear this acutely.

Sure, she's been afraid quite a few times. She is human, after all.

This, though... this is far beyond what she ever expected.

Shuichi's kneeling on the floor, a gun muzzle pressed to his head.

In the background, under their hydraulic press, blood drips lazily from a pink shirt sleeve that once was white.

Maki's lying against the wall, bleeding out on the floor from Pekoyama's blade.

It's Sophie's choice all over again: that cliche idea that seems so much easier in theory than in practice.

Now, she doesn't want to choose.

But if Pekoyama pushes that blade in any deeper, or if Kuzuryuu pulls that trigger... they're both going to die.

And that scares her  _far_ more than anything happening to her.

"Choose me."

"No!" Maki shrieks before Pekoyama clamps a hand over her mouth.

"Really." Kuzuryuu shifts the barrel of his gun just slightly, pointing into Shuichi's eye. "Well, sure."

He angles the gun towards her, and before she can move, he pulls the trigger.

Time seems to slow down as the bullet flies towards her. The faces of the dead flash before her eyes - Rantaro Amami, Kokichi Ouma, and all her other friends who were butchered in this raid.

"I'm sorry," she whispers as the bullet curves on its path towards her heart. "I'm so sorry..."

Her eyes find a last gleam of light - her wedding ring, that last memento from the happiest day of her dark and sad life.

"Goodbye... Maki."

The bullet hits her heart in an explosion of pink blood, and Kaede Akamatsu feels no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I CAN EXPLAIN I PROMISE


	17. Rings and Pianos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol anyone know where this title came from?

It seems darkly ironic that one of the happiest days of Kaede's life would also be one of her last. 

There's only a small gathering of friends as their wedding, held under the stars. Kokichi is officiating, because of  _course_ he has a minister's license. 

"Dearly beloved and Kaito, we are gathered here today to marry these two lovesick idiots," Kokichi begins.

Kaede's occupied by staring into Maki's deep red eyes, shining all the brighter against the white dress she wears. It's dark, but small candles illuminate just enough.

As she watches, Maki gives her the faintest of smirks, and Kaede smiles back.

"Maki Harukawa, do you promise to love and to cherish Kaede Akamatsu? Do you promise to stay together, in sickness and in health, in life and in death?"

"I do," Maki states.

Wow, it has actually gotten very hot in here. Surely that's the reason water seems to be leaking profusely from her eyes.

"Kaede Akamatsu, do you promise to love and cherish Maki Harukawa? Do you promise to stay together, in sickness and in health, in life and in death?"

"I do," Kaede repeats.

"Then I pronounce you wife and wife! You may kiss the bride!"

It took long enough, Kaede thinks.

She flies into Maki's arms, lips meeting as her arms wrap around Maki's chest. They share a kiss just for a second, as the candles flicker and applause rings out throughout the hillside.

"Kaede, will you dance with me?" Maki breathes. 

And Kaede knows that this has been Maki's dream for the longest time. To share a first dance under the stars... it seems perfect.

"Yes," Kaede smiles, the simple response making Maki happier than she's ever been.

Maki sweeps Kaede into a waltz as the Milky Way shines overhead, reflecting in the water by the hill's base. The candles provide a flickering of light as Maki twirls her, the small flames dancing in her crimson eyes.

"I've always wanted this," Maki whispers, hands clenching Kaede's. "This makes me so happy, Kaede."

"Me too," Kaede smiles, tears rolling down her face. "I hope we never have to stop dancing, Maki."

Maki wraps her hands around her waist and lifts her, twirling her in a slow circle.

"Me too."


	18. Burials and Darkness

This must be Maki's personal hell.

It seems like just yesterday that everything was normal, but it must have been at least a week. 

One week since the operation to assasinate Kuwata succeeded.

Six days since she and Kaede were kidnapped.

Five days since she and Kaede escaped.

Four days since she and Kaede were married.

Two days since she watched the love of her life shoot her brains out.

Two days since she watched Kokichi crushed under a hydraulic press, eyes full of perhaps the first real fear he would ever express.

This is some sort of demented psychological torture, surely. She must be punished for something, this must be her fault.

Because... Kaede never really did anything wrong. Kaede never killed anyone, that was all her.

(Of course, the same could be said for Rantaro Amami, and look where he ended up.)

Now rain falls through the air, making faces wet and mingling with tears. 

It's been a long time since they've had to bury one of their friends, much less two.

It's a type of wound that won't ever heal.

Maki wears her best black dress, standing next to Shuichi in a black tuxedo. They both have to give a eulogy... which is the last thing Maki would want to do for anyone but Kaede.

_"You know, the number-one fear in America is public speaking," Kokichi smirks. "That means if you're at a funeral, you're better off in the casket than giving the eulogy."_

It would be nicer if Maki was in the casket, she decides. That way, Kaede would still be alive, and Maki wouldn't have to suffer this way.

She spares a glance at Shuichi, who is surely remembering the same thing she is.

"You know, Kokichi couldn't come to Rantaro's funeral."

Maki's eyes widen slightly, before falling back into their usual glare. "So what?"

"He said that he didn't want to, but I just think he didn't really believe it," Shuichi whispers. "He's not the monster that everyone says he is... was."

"I never thought he was all that monstrous," Maki assures him. 

_The only one monstrous here is me._

"He's more like... a demonic cat. Prickly and sharp, but cuddly and sweet if you get to know him better," Shuichi sighs, a fresh tear curving its way down his cheek. "I just... why am I still here, and he's...?"

The word 'gone' hangs in the air between them, left unspoken.

"I don't know," Maki whispers. "I just... don't know."

They watch the funeral proceed in silence, until all too soon, it's Shuichi's turn to speak.

"Kokichi was... Kokichi was my everything," Shuichi begins. "He was my light on the darkest days, ready to drag me out of bed with a devilish smirk. He was annoying sometimes, but always knew how to make me feel better. I've never met anyone quite like him, and now I don't think I ever will.

"I suppose this is what you call love. I never really gave it a name before now, and I never thought I needed to. But... now I just can't help but realize all the things I never got to say... all the things I would take back if I could, and all the things I would do for him.

"He was the person that kept me sane in this screwed-up world. He was the person who helped me shut out the horrors of the world with soft touches and softer words, words that I didn't do a thing to deserve.

"I guess, if I could have changed anything, I would have told him that I love him more. I would have kissed him and hugged him and kept him close so that nothing could ever hurt him, and now he's just  _goop_ from a damned hydraulic press and it's not  _fair goddamn it_ because I should be the one in the casket! Kokichi should be here, smiling and happy, because he was so  _good_ and so much better to me than I ever was to him, and..."

Kaito stands up, gently placing a hand on Shuichi's shoulder and helping him back to his seat. Shuichi's words have dissolved into incoherent sobs, tears mingling with the rain that drips slowly down.

And oh god, it's Maki's turn. 

This funeral is moving too fast. This can't be moving this fast, this can't be moving this fast, this  _can't be happening_.

Somehow she finds herself standing at the podium, looking out at the sea of her friends. She catches sight of Himiko, Tenko, and Angie, and feels a surge of jealousy in her chest.

 _They_ should be in that coffin, dammit. Kaede should be here and alive and perfect and-

No. Focus. This is the last thing you can do for her, Maki. Do it right.

"Kaede and I first met when I was young and she bought me from an orphanage," Maki begins.

"She took one look at me, and skipped over, pushing some hair out of my face and wrapping me in a hug. I remember what she said, 'This one, Daddy! This one!'

"I never could have known that would be my first meeting with the love of my life.

"There was never one moment where I just knew that Kaede was the one. It was more like a wave, or in Kaede's words, a crescendo. It just kept building and building, and I guess I thought that would never end.

"Even after we got married, just a few days ago, it still didn't feel real. I guess it just felt too good to be true.

"I should have known it was. But still... that impromptu wedding thrown in the face of death was the most precious and perfect day of my life, because any day I get to marry Kaede Akamatsu is  _perfect_.

"We didn't include the thing in our vows where it says 'until death do us part' because we knew we weren't going to live forever. Instead, we promised to stay together through life and through death.

"Kaede's idea, really. She must have somehow known that she would be the first to go.

"I know I don't seem sad, but that's probably because I spent the last two days crying on top of our piano. If this is the last thing I can do for Kaede, I want to do it with a strong voice and strong heart, so she can feel my love from wherever she is now.

"Kaede Akamatsu was the kindest, most beautiful, most caring woman I have ever met. She was always nice, always so sweet, and sometimes a bit risqué, but that's okay. Because she's still my Kaede. 

"I'm never going to stop loving Kaede Akamatsu. I'm never just going to throw my ring in the air, say 'fuck it' and move on.

"I can't move on. I'm not going to lose myself in grief, because that's not what she'd want.

"I'm going to move forwards for both of us. I'm going to move forwards for her sake, and for mine."

Maki raises her hand towards the sky, rain rolling in rivulets down her hair.

"'Till death reunites us, I promise I will carry on your dream, Kaede.

"I promise... so that when we see each other again, you'll be proud of me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sORRY
> 
> but hoo boy, this one is a doozy
> 
> writing the eulogies was actually painful because I just imagined them saying it and almost started crying in the middle of this airport lol


	19. (My Last Promise To You) and I Live On In Dying Memory

Shuichi has never been strong.

He's always been the weak, small one, hiding behind Kokichi. Always been the one who wasn't strong enough to smile.

Kokichi smiled enough for both of them.

Now he's gone.

And Shuichi doesn't know how to smile anymore.

He's not just 'rusty' as some would put it, he literally cannot remember what it feels like to be happy. Dark thoughts swirling around his head without Kokichi to block them out.

_You are a jinx, Shuichi Saihara. You cared for Rantaro, he died. You cared for Kaede, she died. You cared for Kokichi, he died._

_Stop caring._

And is it selfish, to want to care? He wants to love. He wants to be able to open up without collapsing back into despair, those darkened tendrils dragging him back into the depths of his own mind.

It's a dark place. It's a scary place.

Kokichi would make it just a bit brighter with his smile. Just a bit brighter with his ever-present happiness and cockiness that Shuichi tried  _so_ hard to emulate, but never quite could.

Is it selfish, to want Kokichi back?

He's not sure how long he's been lying on his bed. Long enough for the numbing of ice cream to stop and the number of tissues to dwindle down to none. Because  _everywhere_ he looks is Kokichi. Whether it's Kokichi reading, Kokichi playing a game, Kokichi eating chocolate, Kokichi helping him with a crime web, Kokichi's absence is so profound it  _hurts_.

The roar of the silence is a strange new sound that he's not entirely certain he likes. It's never quiet. Kokichi never left him to his spectres.

And yet, the liar's face seems to be imprinted on his eyelids. Everywhere he looks, everywhere he thinks, everywhere he  _is_ is Kokichi.

Grief is a dangerous emotion, threatening to engulf him. A large wave on the beach, dragging him back into its depths, never letting go of him with its riptide. Instead, the wave just hits him  _again_ and  _again_ and  _again_ and he just wants to breathe.

Breathe.

It's so damn hard to move. So damn hard to go anywhere when all he wants to do is waste away, see Kokichi again. Because it should be Kokichi here, not him.

Kokichi would smile, hold out a hand and he would take it. They would run away, happily, and Kokichi could stop the voices in his head, because Kokichi would never be one of them.

_"You let me down, Saihara-kun."_

_"I cared about you, and you let me die."_

_"You promised to move on for me."_

And how damn pathetic is that? He wants to move on, but his entire being is one with Kokichi. Like two strings tied into each other. You can't untangle one without cutting the other.

Is that all Kokichi is? A cut string?

No.

No no no no no nononononono.

Kokichi was life. A bright spotlight in the dim misery that is his life.

But now, without the spotlight, the stage isn't set.

Nobody can see the actors.

Nobody can see  _him_.

The show can never start. 

Without Kaede to be his voice, without Rantaro to be his eyes, without Kokichi to focus the world on him and smile, there's nothing for him.

The world has fallen out from under him, and there's nothing left. Just the last fragments of someone who once was Shuichi Saihara.

And it  _hurts_ so badly because nobody can see him anymore, and nobody can see them anymore, and wouldn't it be better if the world could see them, and not see him?

So why.

Why is he still here, while they're... not?

* * *

~~_"I love you, Saihara."_ ~~

_The words flow out of Kokichi's pen and onto the pristine white paper, loops and lines mixing to create a perfect message. It's Kokichi's last words, and he wants to make them count._

_"Dear Shuichi Saihara,_

_You know I love you. Hell, I'd be surprised if you didn't._

_You are the light in the darkest parts of my life. You're the person that gets me out of bed every day and makes life worth living._

_And to be honest, I can't imagine life without you._

_So no matter what happens to me, I want you to live. I want you to live for me, so that I can move on in peace._

_And I know it's going to hurt. It's going to hurt like hell, and I'm not asking you not to hurt._

_I just want you to try._

_Try to appreciate life, because it's a gift. It's my gift to you._

_Because I can't imagine a life without you in it, so I figure I must have given my life for you._

_Please, Shuichi. I want you to be happy. I don't care what that takes. You can move on, I know you can. You don't have to love me forever. I just want you to be happy._

_So if you do anything for me, just do this._

_Please, try to be happy. Please._

_I know it must be hard. But you're not alone. You have friends. You have ~~Kaede~~ , Kaito, and Maki. They'll take care of you if I can't._

_Please, Shuichi. I just want you to be happy. I couldn't bear to leave you alone if I didn't know you'd be okay, and I know you will. You're the Ultimate Detective. You can do anything._

_Including move on._

_So leave me behind, please. For your sake. Live your life to the fullest, and if you need a reason, then do it for me._

_Okay?_

_I'll assume you said yes and sign off for now._

_Your love,_

_Kokichi Ouma."_

* * *

Shuichi's tears splatter onto the pages of the letter, distorting Kokichi's pristine handwriting into incomprehensible scribbles. 

"Why... Kokichi?" he whispers, paper clutched tight in shaking hands. "I love you... you can't ask me to leave you behind..."

_" _Live your life to the fullest, and if you need a reason, then do it for me."__

"Do it... for you?"

Shuichi gently places the paper on the table, handling it like a priceless treasure.

"I could do anything for you, Kokichi, but..."

_"Please, Shuichi. I just want you to be happy. I couldn't bear to leave you alone if I didn't know you'd be okay, and I know you will. You're the Ultimate Detective. You can do anything."_

"You can do anything, Shuichi."

And for a second, it's like Kokichi's arms are around him, and his voice echoes in Shuichi's mind.

"You can do anything."

Shuichi wipes a last tear off his face, scrubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket.

"I can do anything, huh?"

He tears open the window blinds, forcing bright sunlight into the room. It's blinding, but he relishes it.

"I'm going to live on for you, Kokichi. Just like you asked me too."

And for the last time, he can hear Kokichi's voice, floating on the breeze.

"Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tHIS IS NOT A HEALTHY GRIEVING PROCESS


	20. Plans and Puppets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> whoops
> 
> this has a lot of weird despair-talk so take that as you will

Tsumugi Shirogane strides into the room, high heels clicking on tile. 

She's going to see Junko Enoshima, after all. It doesn't pay to be late.

(Well, it doesn't pay at all, but that's not really the point)

"Enoshima-sama," she greets, pushing open the door and bowing deeply.

Junko stares at her, an utterly bored expression on her face. 

"Yeah?" she snaps, azure eyes narrowed in irritation. 

"I have a proposition for you..."

* * *

He's walking to his death.

He's not entirely sure *why* he's walking, he just knows he is. Like an actor following a script. A puppet on strings.

It's not as if he's not fighting. The aware part deep down in his mind, the part still playing the role he was assigned so long ago resists this with everything it has.

It's not enough.

The reprogrammed part of him, the part that obeys despair as his master and Junko Enoshima as his savior refuses to let him stop.

He's holding the knife in numb fingers, clenching around a slick black hilt. 

He's going to kill his best friend.

_How despair-inducing._

* * *

Maki Harukawa runs down the street, tears streaming behind her.

It's been too long.

He hasn't picked up in too long.

She would be faster on a bike, but that's not exactly an option. She never bought one, despite Kaede's insistance...

Damn, this has been a shitty week.

It seems sick that she can simplify it to that level, but she can.

Snow swirls through the air as she pushes herself  _faster_ , pleading with herself not to be too late.

_Please, don't let me be too late again._

_Let me save one person._

_Please._

Her mind flashes back to Kaede - a corpse too perfect for this world, as ethereal in eternal sleep as she was in life. 

Kokichi... not so much.

Still, three people dead is too many. First Rantaro, then Kokichi and Kaede...

It's almost as if this is a plan.

Like people following a demonic script, with orders to kill first  _this_ person, then  _that_ one.

It's sick.

Kurumi appears, coming out of the building where she shares an apartment with Ryoma. Not by his choice, but it was decided someone should watch him. And who better to watch him than the Ultimate Maid?

Besides, even if he doesn't say so, he does like it.

"Maki-san?" she asks, as proper as always.

Maki must look like a mess, hair messy and eyes red from crying. The  _hurt_ lodged in her bones won't leave her alone, despite her best efforts to drown it in alcohol and ice cream.

Damn her high tolerance.

"Kurumi..." Maki gasps. She doesn't grow winded easily, but sprinting across the city can't help. "I need your help."

Kurumi's eyes narrow (the best way to gain assistance is to say the word 'help') and she extends a gloved hand. "Let me help."

It's how, ten minutes later, they're riding across the city on Ryoma's motorbike. 

It's a swanky bike, no mistake. Pitch-black, with an engine that purrs like a cat and moves like one too. 

Still, Maki doesn't care, so long as it moves.

They pull up to the house, and Maki hops off the bike as fast as humanly possible. 

She has to know he's okay.

He has to be okay.

She pulls open the door...

and walks into her nightmare.

* * *

"Are you sure?"

Junko eyes Tsumugi with irritation... and just a slight hint of excitement.

"This would throw all the rules away. Reveal our entire hand."

And yes, that  _is_ excitement in Junko's eyes. 

What better despair than having your entire plan crumble before your eyes?

"I'm positive," Tsumugi smiles, that angelic smile that had her cast for the 53rd season of Danganronpa. 

Ultimate Cosplayer indeed. 

"This is going to be so despair-inducing," Junko coos. "I'm so excited~"

"I'll contact him right away, see if he's okay to do it," Tsumugi proposes, and Junko nods assent.

"Oh, and don't tell him who the target is- I want to see the despair on his face when he realizes," Junko commands. "This despair, ah... it makes me ecstatic just thinking about it!"

Tsumugi nods in agreement, the prospect of overwhelming despair undeniably intriguing. 

Ah... it's almost as perfect as the 53rd season's ending... Shuichi's victory... Shuichi's despair...

Shuichi is such a good protagonist, she muses. So capable of causing despair... so capable of creating weak hope...

Everyone loves him. He is the emotional support for the group. So perfect, so hope-filled...

How would it be if he could fall to despair?

Or more so...

How would it be if he was pushed?

Junko is letting her play with the puppets she made, Tsumugi muses as she leaves the room. The lives caught in her web of despair, able to be manipulated  _so_ easily to do her bidding. 

It's so admirable... so impressive... truly perfect for the Ultimate Despair.

She runs her tongue over her index finger, salivating at the prospect of this despair. This true, reachable despair... so perfect...

Junko will be so proud. She doesn't even have an inkling of how perfect this is going to be.

How despair-inducing. 

How... absolutely despair-causing... so perfectly absolutely despair-inducing... ah...

This will be her game, she vows. 

This despair is something she will be able to call completely her own. 

This despair will be just for her, a special despair just to throw herself into complete and utter hurt. 

It's  _incredible_.

Ah, she may have to take out Junko's favorite now, but soon it will be her turn.

Soon, it shall be her turn to try and create Ultimate Despair, her turn to destroy the fragments of hope and fall to despair.

It sounds  _wonderful_. 

Not any hope will do. She has one in mind already.

She caresses a photo of her hope, her desperate, perfect, hope, so fragile. So easily breakable, with just a flick of the wrist and a twisted motive. 

It's going to be  _so_ despair-inducing to watch her fall.

 _Absolutely perfect_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> place your votes for the victim in the comment section :D
> 
> there are three people im toying with as the killers but you won't get to find out until later :D
> 
> also was anyone else confused? i sure was


	21. Stress and Fixing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i am a SUCKER for things about Rantaro's season before the one where V3 takes place, but I haven't found any.
> 
> you just get to have some allusion

The 53rd season of Danganronpa ended with a battered Shuichi, Maki, and Himiko awaking to a cackling Tsumugi, insanity evident in her eyes. 

"This season..." she gasped, drool trickling out of the corner of her mouth. "So much revenue... ah, can we keep this going?"

After that, a pair of people pushed her out of the way - Angie Yomada and Tenko Chabashira. They didn't look quite the same as they did in the game, hair shorter and clothes plainer. Still, the light in Himiko's eyes was unmistakable, and she wrapped them both in a hug.

Slowly trickling in was the rest of their class, all the people they had seen killed, all the people who had died in  _grotesque_ fashion earlier in the game, here and alive.

It seemed too good to be true.

That was soon proven correct the day they walked in on Korekiyo surrounded by a pool of his own blood, tears mingling with hot red liquid.

_"I'm disgusting," Korekiyo sobbed, hands clutching at his skull as if to tear it apart. "I don't even have a sister..."_

It wasn't just him. Kaede lost weight at a dangerousrate, Kurumi barely slept, Gonta appeared melancholy and withdrawn, and Kaito's normally cheerful demeanor was replaced with a dangerous fury. 

The victims didn't seem much better. Rantaro appeared increasingly paranoid (perhaps due to the memory recovery treatments), Ryoma seemed less and less sociable, Angie and Tenko would wake up nightly with nightmares, and Miu was terrified of everything involving electronics. Not to mention Kokichi, who refused to be in the same room as Maki, and shared Miu's fear of electronics. 

_"There's so much blood on my hands," Rantaro confided, tears leaking out of his eyes. "I stabbed two of my friends to death in the 52nd season... real death..."_

The survivors seemed to be the only ones unscathed, though Maki still refused to let Kaito out of her sight. Relations between her and Kaede continued to dissolve in the meantime, eventually coming to a head when Kaede made some offhand comment about being glad the season ended so quickly.

_"It wasn't quick," Maki hissed, voice filled with bile and malice. "You can say that because you died first, and you didn't have to watch all your friends die."_

_"I'm a friend?" Kokichi whispered, voice filled with none of its prior malice. "...really?"_

_"I never said you, Ouma."_

_Real hurt flickered on Kokichi's face, quickly dissolving into a mask of nonchalance._

_"Oh, okay then."_

Things grew progressively worse over a matter of weeks, until the head technicians at Danganronpa approached them with a suggestion.

_"How about we put you into the Neo World Program?"_

* * *

It was meant to fix them.

It was meant to solve their problems, meant to save them from the overwhelming despair of a killing game.

That was decidedly not what happened.

Rantaro is the system's first failure. He wakes with a scream, the memories of both killing games ricocheting in his head, the  _murders, the killing, why won't it stop stop stop it._

They wheel him into therapy, trying to fix the brain they broke.

(He never speaks after that day, convinced the right to a voice is no longer his)

On one of those days, Tsumugi approaches him, offering to put him back into the program.

(He shakes his head once, a refusal. Leave the demon to his demons, he almost seems to say. What else is there for me?)

No progress is made until Kokichi awakes with a shout, thrashing wildly as he tries to escape. 

"T-The press," he manages to stutter out between sobs. "I-I died... I-I died  _again_..."

Kaede wakes the next day, hand reaching instinctively for a wedding band no longer there.

"Was Maki... was that all a lie?"

The conflicting memories inside her head confuse her, and she presses her fingers to her temples as if to banish the thoughts from her mind.

"If it was... it was a nice lie."

The tears streaming down her cheeks plainly conflict with her words.

Rantaro comes to visit them. He's allowed to walk around, but the large amount of bandages wrapped around his head lets everyone know just how far from okay he really is.

"I'd like to go outside," Kokichi hums contemplatively, staring out his window at the sunset. "And pizza. Pizza and ice cream. Ah, the things you miss when you're in a hospital... there's nothing fun to do here..."

Rantaro pulls a deck of cards out of his pocket, and like the child he is, Kokichi's eyes light up.

"Hearts?" the Ultimate smirks, dealing half the deck to Rantaro and half to himself.

(They tie, something neither of them expected)

Rantaro comes back every day after that, and they experiment with games. One of the days, Kokichi suggests that they invite Kaede, and while the blonde Ultimate is originally apprehensive, she ends up shooting the moon and beating both of them.

"No!" Kokichi wails, throwing his hand into the air. Beside him, Rantaro beats a fist on the ground, frame shaking in silent laughter.

"Never underestimate a pianist, Kokichi," Kaede smirks, dealing out the next hand.

It's impossible to put a date on the day they all become friends, but sometime between the first hand of Hearts and the day Kaede tells them they mean the world to her, something changes. They help each other shut out the darkness and let in the light.

Kaede is there for Rantaro when the bad memories come back, threatening to swallow him whole. Rantaro is there for Kokichi, when the pain of being hated by everyone makes itself known. Kokichi is there for Kaede, when the overwhelming sense of loss promises never to let go.

And they're  _happy._ Kokichi and Kaede and Rantaro. The Leader, Pianist, and Explorer. 

(Rantaro won't go by Survivor anymore. Too many memories dredged up by the word.)

They're allowed to meet other Danganronpa veterans. Ibuki, Sayaka, and Kaede all perform a trio (it's undeniably weird), Rantaro has a nice talk with Nagito and Makoto (even if the former is obsessively drooling over seeing a Gen-1 Hope) and Kokichi enjoys talking to Sakura and Peko (after the latter apologizes profusely for the events of the Neo World Program, despite not being involved). 

It's happy. Life is good, calm, and perfect. 

That is, until the one person with the power to shatter this fragile peace awakes with a war cry and a shout, destroying all semblance of calm.

_Kaito Momota._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> E X P O S I T I O N
> 
> https://i.pinimg.com/originals/60/ea/32/60ea32c173789b945ec551821abeeab5.jpg
> 
> https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8f/e3/11/8fe311ccb702bbae3f1a07d8dad6178d.jpg
> 
> https://i.pinimg.com/originals/24/84/4a/24844a5140c2f2275d4f95bb4d041f03.jpg
> 
> https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3c/59/4e/3c594ee54f76e362e270525a922e5fee.jpg
> 
> these three are so precious


	22. Luminary Of The Stars and A World He Once Knew

"What's... going on?"

Kaito finds himself surrounded by three blobs (possibly people, his eyesight is still shot) all of whom talk in low whispers.

"Nishi-ha," one of the figures laughs, seeming almost to change his voice midway through. It's flat and dull, yet strangely familiar.

"I think he's awake- hey! Momota-kun! Can you hear me?" a girl's voice asks.

The fuzziness seems to have dissipated, and he can, in fact, tell that they are people. One girl and two boys.

"Wha- Rantaro!" the first figure pouts. "It is  _not_ my fault!"

Kokichi... Rantaro... Kaede?

The world snaps into focus as he takes in the room's occupants.

It is them, though not quite the same. All three wear bandages around their heads, and all three somehow look... lighter?

"Momota-kun!" Kaede smiles. "You're finally awake!"

Rantaro nods slowly, a certain level of wariness in his gaze.

"Pfft, you looked ridiculous," Kokichi snickers. "Like an idiot."

Rantaro gives him a scathing glare, and his expression falls.

"Don't be like that, Amami!" Kokichi frowns. "That's no fun!"

"Where is Maki-Roll? And Shuichi?" Kaito demands, forcing himself to a seated position. "What happened?"

"Things will come back to you soon," Kaede smiles, sympathy in her gaze. "They keep you hopped-up on drugs until you're deemed mentally fit."

"I'm  _fine_!" Kaito insists, swinging his legs out of the hospital bed. 

He doesn't expect how weak they've grown, and he falls to his knees on the floor, shame prickling in his chest. 

"Hey, Kaito."

Kokichi slings his arm over Kaito's shoulder, hoisting him upright so he's sitting on the bed.

"Please, don't be sad," Rantaro's eyes seem to say, worry evident in their pea-green depths. 

"It's okay," Kaede assures him. "The weakness will pass."

"What happened?" Kaito frowns, allowing the others to help him back into the bed.

"...the Neo World Program..." Kokichi trails off, staring out the window. 

"What?" Kaito asks.

"...let me start from the beginning..."

* * *

Maki stares at the horrific scene in front of her, tears streaming down her face.

Shuichi stands above a mutilated corpse, eyes gleaming with insanity. 

Below him, Kaito's body spills bright pink blood on the floor, a single tear trailing down his cheek. His face is permanently frozen in an expression of shock and horror, and as Maki watches, Shuichi plunges the kitchen knife into his corpse  _again_.

"Shuichi, stop!"

Maki strides forwards, slapping him in the cheek.  _Hard_.

The daze in his eyes seems to fade, and Shuichi shakes his head, rubbing at his temple. "What... what happened? The last thing I remember, I was at home, and..."

He raises his hands in front of his face, eyes widening in horror at the caked-on blood. "What... who...?"

His eyes catch Kaito's, and his mouth opens in a scream, tears spilling out of his eyes as he falls to his knees.

"No, no, no, Kaito, how..."

The raw  _anguish_ in his voice is tear-jerking, the raw  _pain_ at seeing someone he cares about dead on the floor.

Maki stares in horror, wiping off a spot of blood (Kaito's blood) that landed on her cheek.

(How she knows to shut out pain: distance. Kill your emotion)

"Is Kaito really... how?"

Shuichi plants his hands on the ground, staring at Kaito in horror. 

"How could... how could I do this...? Did I... did I do this? Why?"

Kurumi pushes open the door, following behind Maki obediently. She pauses, just an instant, before pushing past Maki.

The assassin is about to protest before Kurumi bends down, closing Kaito's eyes (the eyes that seemed to hold the universe in their depths) and wiping the blood off his cheek.

"Shuichi, did you do this?" Kurumi whispers.

Shuichi doesn't answer, staring at his blood-soaked hands in horror and fear. 

"Shuichi!" Maki demands, planting a hand on his shoulder. "How could... how could you! Kaito was our friend! Your friend!"

Shuichi shakes in her grasp, eyes fixed blankly on a point many miles away.

”I d-don’t... I don’t know...” he finally chokes out, a tinge of panic in his voice. “I d-don’t... why...?”

All he can think of is  _Kaito Kaito Kaito_ and he  _can't_ be dead,  _isn't dead no no no._

"Shuichi! Snap out of it!"

He's harshly forced back into sobriety as Maki drives a hand into his gut (harder than necessary, but that's not surprising)

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she sobs, salty liquid spilling down her cheeks and onto the floor. "Why Kaito? Why?"

"I don't... why?" Shuichi mutters. "Kaito..."

Kurumi gently pries them apart (so calm, even now) and practically shepherds Shuichi back to the motorcycle with soft touches and softer words.

Then it's just Maki and the body that was Kaito.

She stares at him, forcing her brain to commit the utter horror that is Kaito Momota to photographic memory. How the light tear tracks on his cheeks catch the light just so, making it appear as though he's sleeping.

(They're never just sleeping)

And oh, she is just  _tired._ Tired of the jinx surrounding her, tired tired tired of all the death and darkness and  _ruin._

The mental fortitude in her mind  _crumbles_ along with Shuichi's tears, crumbling down into some semblance of a barrier, but really so paper-thin, so  _fake-_

She gingerly presses the tip of her finger to the point of a knife (that knife, the knife that has claimed  _so_ many lives before hers) marveling at the red bead of blood welling up.

Even after all this, she still bleeds.

Tracing her arm, the vein, red blood seeping onto pale skin, she knows after a certain point that she will bleed out. 

She doesn't care.

She has to know she bleeds. She has to know that she's alive, that she's real, that she's  _here._

_She is still here._

She is still here.

She is still... here.

She is still...

She is...

She...

...

For the second time that day, someone wakes up in a hospital room, their last memory of death.

Except, unlike Kaito, Maki can't understand how she's supposed to live with herself.


	23. Nightmares and Panic

Around the time Maki wakes up, Kaito is just about able to push himself around in a wheelchair.

As it is, Kaede still pushes him to and from the kitchen, always talking about the smallest improvements.

"Aren't you glad we can be together again?" she whispers, smiling wistfully. "We're free now. We escaped."

"Yeah!" Kaito exclaims. "I can't wait to talk with Maki-Roll again!"

They enter the kitchen, where Rantaro cooks a dish from... somewhere? It's hard to tell with him, since he's been to so many places...

"Good morning!" Kaede greets cheerfully, and Rantaro offers them a small smile in response.

"Good morning!" Kokichi exclaims, and Kaito gives him a glare as the smaller boy skips into the kitchen.

Rantaro stares at him for a second before smiling and ruffling his hair playfully, a carefree smile playing across his face.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Kokichi offers, and Rantaro indicates a saucepan sitting idle on the stove.

Kaito bristles, seeing how Kokichi so easily manipulates his two friends.

_"He's using you, can't you tell? He just wants to gain control so he can have the upper hand."_

He's not sure what Kokichi wants, but the smaller boy has to be planning  _something_. 

"What's wrong, Momota-kun?" Kokichi asks, leaning on his elbows across the table. "You look sick..."

Kaito bites his lower lip, glaring harshly at Kokichi. 

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened in the game..." Kokichi trails off, eyes adopting a sort of wistful longing. "I'd like to start over, if that's okay with you?"

He offers a hand, and Kaito scrutinizes it for a second.

_Smack!_

Kokichi stares at him, eyes filled with hurt as his hand hits the table.

"I don't know what you're planning, Ouma, but rest assured, I  _will_ find out," Kaito growls. "Nobody changes that much."

He wheels himself out of the room, breakfast forgotten.

As soon as he's out of sight, Kokichi slams his fists into the granite counters, tears streaming down his face.

"I'm not lying," he whispers. "I'm not... why does nobody believe me?"

Kaede's hand hovers over his back for just an instant, before she wraps him in a hug.

"It's okay, Kokichi," she whispers, gently stroking his hair. "We believe you. Right, Rantaro?"

The Ultimate Explorer turns off the burner and walks over, grasping Kokichi's hand with his own. A small smile on his face, he intertwines their pinkies, as if to promise that he'll never leave.

_"Just breathe,"_ his eyes say, calm and serene.  _"Just breathe, Kokichi. It'll be okay. We are still your friends."_

Kaede straightens, eyes stone-cold as she strides out of the room.

"Kaede, where are you going?" Kokichi asks, eyes widening with worry.

"I'm going to talk to Kaito."

* * *

_Rantaro cares deeply about Kokichi._

_He was the first one to wake up. The first one to drag him out of his sedentary lifestyle with promises of a future._

_For the longest time, Rantaro would lie in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He rarely slept, images of Danganronpa's 52nd season flashing before him every time he closed his eyes._

_He wanted to go again._

_He volunteered to be in the 53rd season._

_Sometimes, the utter insanity of it all would drive him to crawl to the bathroom, leaving him to empty his stomach of the meager amount of food he ate._

_He has killed. He has killed before just for money and fame._

_He is sick._

_That was a real killing game. Real. Not just a simulation, nothing like that._

_He murdered his friends._

_Stabbed them in the stomach._

_He is broken. Can barely remember a thing outside of the two killing games. Sure, he can remember flashes, his audition, going on set, but nothing about himself._

_Kokichi never cared. Kokichi never cared about the bad things he did. Still doesn't._

_Kaede cares for Kokichi too. They drag each other out of nightmares and horrible memories._

_Why doesn't Kaito understand?_

* * *

Kaito sits on the edge of his bed, lost in thought.

Kokichi must have tricked them in some way. What could he have done?

A soft knock at his door draws his attention, and before he can reply, the door slowly opens. 

It's Kokichi and Rantaro. They're both dressed the way they were during the killing game (albeit the obligatory bandages) and Rantaro holds a deck of cards in his hand.

"Do you want to play?" Kokichi offers as Rantaro shuffles the deck. "We all play Hearts every so often, and I thought you might want to join."

"..."

This has to be a trick. No way is Kokichi just playing Hearts. He probably made everyone else bet their souls. 

"How is he tricking you!" Kaito exclaims, sweeping the cards off the table and grabbing the collar of Rantaro's shirt. "What the hell is he doing to make you all worship him like this?"

Rantaro shakes slightly in his grasp, eyes widened with terror.

"Kaito, stop!" Kokichi exclaims, concern in his gaze.

"Why do you all trust him!" Kaito continues, obvivious to Rantaro's growing distress. "Why do you trust someone who has done nothing but lie!"

"Kaito! Stop!" Kokichi shouts, forcing the astronaut's hands off Rantaro. "You're hurting him!"

And Rantaro does look hurt. His hands shake as he grasps fistfuls of his hair, falling to his knees. 

_Can't breathe can't breathe can'tbreathecan'tbreathe._

"Rantaro!" Kokichi exclaims, rushing to the Ultimate Explorer's side. His hand gently massages his back as Rantaro's mouth opens in a silent scream, falling onto his side. 

"Hey, hey, come back to me," Kokichi soothes,  _fear_ enveloping his voice. "Breathe, okay? Breathe for me."

Rantaro sucks in a shuddering breath, letting it out with a hiss. 

"Niko..." he rasps, tears streaming down his face. His voice is low and dulled from weeks of disuse, but there's no denying that it was him.

"Rantaro, you're safe," Kokichi assures him as the Ultimate Explorer takes another shuddering breath. "You're okay, Rantaro. Breathe with me."

After another minute of tense terror, Rantaro's eyes seem to clear, and he stares at the room around him.

"You're safe, see?" Kokichi soothes, gently stroking Rantaro's back. "You're alive, you're safe."

"I am so sorry," Kaito stammers, climbing down to stare Rantaro in the eye. "You're okay, right?"

Rantaro nods, just barely, tears streaming down his face.

"Let's take you back to your room," Kokichi offers, grasping the explorer's hand. He leads Rantaro out of the room as if he was a lost puppy, leaving Kaito full of questions without answers.


	24. Friendships and Apologies

"You know, I miss you."

Maki's eyes are glazed over with a dull haze, wide and unseeing. She looks so  _pale_ against the sheets, skin nearly white and translucent.

Why won't she wake up?

"I miss you a lot, Maki. I know we used to fight, but I don't care about that now. I just want you to be happy..."

Kaede clenches the sheets of the bed in her fist, confused thoughts swirling around in her head.

Does she love Maki?

Memories conflict with each other, like balls hitting each other and rebounding.

She does... but there's still the problem of everything else.

The simulation was just that, a simulation. Real life is much more complicated.

Besides, she isn't that Kaede anymore.

That Kaede didn't wake up screaming in the middle of the night. That Kaede didn't remember dying (twice) and didn't remember how Maki lied to them at the start of the game. That Kaede didn't remember how Maki didn't even care when she died. 

Warm hands close around her waist and she turns, meeting lime-green hair. Rantaro rests his chin on her shoulder, letting out a small puff of air as Kaede reaches up to cup the back of his head. 

"I thought it was you," Kaede laughs. "You startled me."

Rantaro smiles, stepping away and pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket.

 _"I came to give you this,"_ he seems to say, pushing it into her hands.

Kaede unfolds the paper apprehensively, obviously wary of whatever it has to say.

"Really?"

Her mood immediately seems to improve and she jolts to her feet, eyes sparkling. "We have to prepare something! Set up the beds! Cook things in advance!"

Rantaro nods as Kaede runs out of the room, pausing just an instant before following.

Hopefully things will go okay.

* * *

"Rantaro!"

The Ultimate Survivor pauses as Kokichi sprints down the hall, tackling him in a hug from behind. "I've been looking for you!"

Rantaro smiles, gently prying Kokichi off him and patting him on the head. 

"Aww, but I wanna hug you," Kokichi whines, wrapping his arms around Rantaro's midsection. "You promised!"

Rantaro smiles weakly, and Kokichi eyes him with concern. "Aww, you can't be feeling bad, right? You said you were feeling better earlier..."

Rantaro offers him a small sigh, and Kokichi grasps his hand in return, dragging him down the corridor. 

"Well, we're just going to sleep then!" Upon seeing Rantaro's confused expression he clarifies, "I mean I'm going to sleep with you!"

Ignoring the hot pink blush now covering most of Rantaro's face, he drags the explorer back to his room, smirking devilishly the whole way.

 _"This child is going to be the death of me,"_ Rantaro thinks, smiling weakly.

* * *

Kaede sits in their 'living room' (really more so a collection of chairs than a living room because apparently TV is bad for them) mulling over what's set to happen.

They're bringing everyone else out of the Neo World Program.

...

This could either go really well, or  _really really bad_. With all that's happened inside the program, being reunited with dead people must confuse them.

It confused her.

"Hey, Kaede."

Kaito falls unceremoniously into one of the armchairs, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Have you seen Kokichi and Rantaro? I wanted to apologize..."

Kaede looks up at him and smiles, relief evident in her warm gaze. "I'm glad you two can finally get along."

"I heard you were gonna yell at me earlier, and I probably deserved it." Kaito gives her a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "After I saw what Kokichi did for Rantaro... he's really changed, you know?"

"I'm glad you realize that," Kaede smiles, clasping his hands in her own. "You should tell those two that. I think they're in Rantaro's room."

Eyes lighting up, she jumps to her feet, grasping Kaito's wrist firmly and dragging him out of the room.

"I'm going to make sure you don't back out!" Kaede grins amidst Kaito's protests. 

* * *

Rantaro and Kokichi curl together under the covers, the former's arms wrapped around the latter's waist. 

A lesser man would make a joke about how Kokichi is the little spoon, but Rantaro likes living.

He hazards a glance at the Ultimate Supreme Leader, only to realize that Kokichi is asleep. Possibly rocked gently to dreamland amidst the warm covers and Rantaro's arms.

...waxing poetic now, are we?

All the same, Kokichi seemed pretty shaken-up by what Kaito said. Maybe he's afraid of turning back into that Kokichi, the one who lied with every breath and rarely expressed real emotion.

He will never become that Kokichi again.

Rantaro can promise him that much. He and Kaede will keep the darkness away no matter what.

A soft knock on the door jolts him out of his reverie, and before he can move to answer it, it creaks open on its own.

"Hey," Kaito's soft voice floats through the air. He seems uncomfortable, refusing to meet Rantaro's eyes. 

Then again, it could be because he's spooning Kokichi in his bed, the latter fast asleep.

"Hey!" Kokichi exclaims, bolting to a seated position.

Then again, maybe not  _completely_ asleep.

"What're you doing here?" Kokichi asks, tilting his head just slightly. "I thought you didn't want to see me..."

"I came to apologize," Kaito replies, staring at Kokichi. There's a real amount of remorse in his gaze, and that's why Rantaro lets him continue.

"To both of you," the astronaut clarifies. "I was a real jerk back there, and I'm sorry. You really have changed, Kokichi. And for the better, too. Rantaro, I'm sorry I grabbed you. I really shouldn't have done that. And if it's okay with you guys, I'd like to start over."

He offers a hand, smiling with all the bravado of the Ultimate Astronaut. "Friends?"

Kokichi smiles, softly but genuinely, and takes it. "Friends."


	25. Detectives and Futures

Bright.

A light shining through his closed eyelids, into the depth of his shattered psyche.

He doesn't  _like_ the light. He just wants to sleep. Wants to wallow.

_"Saihara-kun, please wake up."_

Pressure on his hand, soft words whispered in his ear. The soft touch of a girl's hair on his cheek, wet drops mingling with the soft feeling.

_"Yo, Shuichi, you gotta wake up! We're already behind on our training!"_

An astronaut's naiveté, as if anything could go back to normal. 

_"Shuichi-kun, I miss you."_

Heart-wrenching words from a liar, almost driving him to open his eyes.

(They're all dead, Shuichi. All dead and gone)

"You're Shuichi Saihara."

That voice is new. It's definitely new, and yet, somewhere in the depths of his memory, someone he  _worshipped._

The neural connections aren't quite there as he wracks his brain trying to remember  _who_ this person it, but luckily enough, she answers for him.

"I'm the first Ultimate Detective, Kyoko Kirigiri."

_"Kyoko Kirigiri!"_

_A younger Shuichi pastes yet another poster of the Ultimate Detective onto his walls, the centerpiece of his collection._

_He's always loved the detectives in the series, and yet Kirigiri was the best._

_Undeniably the best. She changed the story, changed the world with her deductions and total amount grossed in sales._

_He wants to be like her._

_He holds an application sheet for Danganronpa 53 in his hands, already filled out._

_[Talent: Ultimate Detective]_

_He wants to be better than Kirigiri. Make that much of an impact on the world, be an idol for the detectives to follow._

"Kyoko... Kirigiri?"

His voice is a horse rasp coming from weeks of disuse, and he has to shut his eyes again from the bright light streaming in from the lights.

But there she is, Kyoko Kirigiri. His idol. The first Ultimate Detective.

He can't feel his hands, he's so excited.

"Shuichi Saihara," Kirigiri smiles, and is that a hint of mirth in her eyes? "I've been wanting to talk with you for a long time."

He can't feel his face.

"Kirigiri," he squeaks out, offering a shaking hand to her. "It's an honor."

She laughs just slightly into her fist, shaking his hand with reservation. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind..."

* * *

"I see why they call you the Ultimate Detective."

Shuichi still somehow manages to sit ramrod-straight even after an hour has passed (the impossibility of meeting his idol has apparently overridden all his physical limitations) and is currently eying her with curiosity in his gaze. 

"My question is why you're interviewing me."

Kirigiri stares - he obviously doesn't miss a beat - before her mouth twitches into a smile.

"It's simple," Kirigiri replies. "We want the cast of the 53rd Killing Game to come to Hope's Peak Academy.

...what?

"What?" Shuichi asks, staring at her dumbly. 

"Yes. It is a legitimate school, Saihara-san."

"But... Hope's Peak Academy? We're not really Ultimates, so-"

"Please, at least consider it, Saihara-san," Kirigiri smiles, placing a small slip of paper into his hand. "I should leave, since some of your friends are waiting outside to see you."

"Some of... my friends?"

Kirigiri walks over to the door, pulling it open unceremoniously.

"Gaah!"

Kaito, Kaede, Kokichi, Maki, and Rantaro fall to the floor in a heap of limbs, one on top of the other. Kokichi, thankfully on top, springs off the pile (leaving Rantaro to be crushed under the massive amount of people) and runs over to Shuichi's bed.

"You're awake!" the small boy grins, clasping his hands around Shuichi's palm. "I'm so glad to see you!"

Rantaro claws weakly at the floor, trying to push off the rest of the pile as Kaede squeezes out of the mess of people.

"Saihara-san! You're awake!"

This... this isn't possible.

They're all  _dead_ , aren't they?

So how...

How are they still here?

"It was all a simulation, Shuichi," Kokichi smiles, genuine relief in his gaze. "We're all okay, and now you are too. You can't even remember season 53 that well, can you?"

Shuichi wracks his brain, trying to think of the specifics, but little comes up. Just a black and white bear, a piano in the nighttime, Kaito emerging from a metal beast, and an explosion that seemed to shake the world.

"No... no I can't..." Shuichi trails off. "I don't think I'd want to, either..."

"You're lucky," Kaede smiles, and is that a hint of envy in her voice? "I can remember it... even if there wasn't much of it..."

"Hey, hey, this is a celebration!" Kaito exclaims, driving the conversation back on track. "We're celebrating everyone waking up, remember?"

Never before has Shuichi been so excited for Kaito's ability to send the conversation careening towards happiness, instead of despair. 

"Yeah!" Kokichi exclaims. "Shuichi, when you're feeling up to it, come join us in the kitchen! Everyone else is waiting!"

As they all pile out of his room, Shuichi finds himself smiling wistfully, happily.

"How... did I get so lucky to have such great friends?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this one! Man, I can't believe it's almost over!


	26. Grande Finale

"Hope's Peak... Academy?"

Kokichi stares at the cloud-haired man in front of him, an expression of disbelief in his gaze. "But... why?"

"Aha... you all may not think you have talents, but you all are so much more incredible than you know," Nagito smiles. "I never thought I had a talent before attending Hope's Peak. I never thought that my luck could do anything to help me... but now... now I teach others, instructing others on their talents. Naegi-sama wants your class to come to Hope's Peak, and my class would like that too. We can help you find something to do with your life, and nurture your interests and talents."

"...that sounds... that sounds wonderful..." Kokichi smiles. 

"Oi, Ouma!" 

Kaito's voice floats through the closed door, a hint of irritation behind his shout. "We're starting the party!"

"I should be going," Kokichi smiles, shaking Nagito's hand. "I'll think about it."

"Aha... have fun..." Nagito smiles.

* * *

The first thing Shuichi notices upon stepping into the party is the  _loud as hell bass_.

Everybody has to shout to be heard, and more than one person has their hands over their ears. 

"Who's DJing this?" Shuichi shouts.

"Keebo!" Kadee replies, and suddenly  _everything makes a helluva lot of sense._

Thankfully, after a matter of minutes, the music quiets down and Shuichi can appreciate the party for real. 

There's a cake made by Rantaro, as well as some food that looks amazing. Karaoke (unfortunately) and foosball in the corner, and in the center of it all, a sheet.

It has quite a few names on it already, and Shuichi quickly scans through the page.

_Kaede Akamatsu_

_Rantaro Amami_

_Kokichi Oma_

_Kaito Momota_

_Maki Harukawa_

_Angie Yonaga_

_Himiko Yumeno_

_Tenko Chabashira_

_Gonta Gokuhara_

_K1-80 (Keebo)_

_Miu Iruma_

_Ryoma Hoshi_

_Kirumi Tojo_

_Korekiyo Shinguji_

_Tsumugi Shirogane_

That last one catches him a bit by surprise.

"I wasn't expecting Tsumugi either, but it would make sense."

Shuichi jumps nearly a mile upon hearing Korekiyo's smooth voice and spins, meeting the Ultimate Anthropologist's narrowed gaze.

"After all, she does want to observe us," Korekiyo continues, seemingly oblivious to Shuichi's terror. "It would make sense if this was the best way she knew how."

"Hey! Kiyo!"

Tenko plants her hands on her hips, pointing a finger at him accusingly. "You'd better not do... whatever it is that you did! Or else!"

Korekiyo stares at her for a moment, before chuckling lightly.

"What are you laughing about?" Tenko frowns, pulling Himiko and Angie into a side-hug. "Ugh. Typical degenerate males!"

"Shuichi... are you crying?"

Shuichi flinches at Himiko's words, raising a hand to his cheek. To his surprise, it comes back wet. 

"Yo! Shuichi! What's wrong, bro?" Kaito asks, pulling him into a hug.

"Nishishi~ are we in a group hug?" Kokichi asks, pulling the three girls into the hug.

"Group hugs are just a cheap way for Shuichi to touch girls," Miu grumbles, joining the hug anyways.

"So warm~" Kaede grins, squirming in next to Shuichi.

Soon enough, all fifteen of them hold each other, relishing in the physical contact.

"You all... are going to Hope's Peak, huh?" Shuichi mumbles.

"Well, sure!" Tenko exclaims. "Not like there's anywhere else!"

"I guess you're right..." Shuichi trails off, considering something. 

"As well, if we have each other, it can't be that bad," Kurumi adds. 

"Okay... I'll do it."

Someone in the pile lets out a squeal, and the hug grows tighter.

"I'm glad you'll join us, Saihara-kun" Kaede whispers.

* * *

Hope's Peak Academy.

The school for Ultimates to grow and prosper, where dreams are found and fulfilled. Every master has passed through these doors, and now Shuichi and the others will too.

"...just lay low..."

"Huh?" Shuichi asks, turning to Kaede.

"That's what started all of this. I told you and Maki to lay low when we were hitting the mark."

Kaede smiles, almost wistfully, tracing a word on her palm.

"Der Flohwalzer," Shuichi reads. "What's that?"

"Are you all excited?" Kokichi smiles, skipping towards them. "I sure am~"

"Don't yap too much," Maki frowns, a hint of mirth in her eyes. "Dogs shouldn't bark when they're not to be heard."

"So mean..." Kokichi whines. "Right, Rantaro?"

The lime-haired Ultimate holds his hands up in surrender, smiling weakly.

"Hey, Shuichi!" Kaito exclaims, slinging his arm around Shuichi's shoulder. "You excited?"

"Yeah... sure..." Shuichi smiles weakly, overwhelmed by Kaito's excitement.

"You going to space, Kaito?" Maki asks, smiling. It's still a small smile, but real.

"Hell yeah!" Kaito exclaims, planting his hands on his waist. "I'm  _definitely_ going to space now!"

Shuichi and Maki have to laugh at Kaito's determination now that his body isn't holding him back.

Really, space is his final frontier, and they're both excited to see how he makes it.

"Give it back, Ryoma!"

Tsumugi's protests ring through the air as Ryoma holds a thick sheet of paper in his hands.

"I'll show the rest of the class this  _script_ for the program," he threatens. "You know I'll do it."

"No..." Tsumugi whispers, despair evident in her eyes. "You can't!"

"I will," Ryoma smirks, deadly as a snake. "You designed my character that way, after all."

Tsumugi's wails ring through the air as Shuichi and the others step inside the gates, staring up at the massive building.

"I almost feel sorry for her," Kaede mutters. "Almost."

There's  _something_ Shuichi's missing, but he doesn't quite know what it is.

All too soon, they're at the door of the classroom. The others must already be inside.

"Are you going to open it?" Kaede asks, and Shuichi realizes that he's been standing with his hand on the handle.

With a smile, he opens the door... into their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap! Thank you all so much for reading my story, and for all those who commented, left kudos and bookmarked! It means so much to me that I can't even express my appreciation in words!


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